Senegal has reached a decision to terminate the contract with coach Aliou Cisse, who successfully guided them to victory in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 and participated in the previous two World Cup tournaments.
This decision was initiated by Senegal’s sports minister Khady Diene Gaye, as articulated by the local football association, which referenced a governmental directive to refrain from renewing his contract.
Cisse, who previously served as the captain of the national team and was a player for Paris Saint-Germain, assumed the coaching role in 2015 and successfully led the nation to secure its inaugural AFCON title two years prior.
Senegal also advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup, but was eliminated at the same stage in this year’s AFCON, where they were defeated by the host nation and eventual champions, Ivory Coast.
The Senegalese Football Association has announced that an interim coaching team will assume responsibilities for the 48-year-old Cisse during the two 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Malawi scheduled for this month.
Senegal currently shares an equal standing with Burkina Faso, each possessing four points from two matches in a group that also features Burundi.
Furthermore, they remain unbeaten in the qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup, although they trail the group leaders, Sudan, by a margin of two points after four matches.
