Senegal Football President Expresses Sadness Over Cisse’s Departure

Aliou Cisse served as Senegal’s coach for nine and a half years. The president of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) conveyed his profound sadness regarding the departure of Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach Aliou Cisse last month, a move mandated by the nation’s sports ministry. Cisse, who guided the West African team to its inaugural Nations Cup (Afcon) title in February 2022, was relieved of his duties after nearly a decade, amidst disagreements between the FSF and the sports ministry, which is responsible for the national coach’s salary, concerning the decision. During his tenure, Senegal also achieved a runner-up finish at the 2019 Afcon and participated in two Fifa World Cups. The 48-year-old coach had maintained an unbeaten record in competitive matches, excluding penalty shootouts, since the beginning of last year. FSF chief Augustin Senghor informed BBC Sport Africa, “Before he arrived, we had never won a continental trophy. This was enormous for us. For this reason I think it was good to let him finish his job, because Senegal is in a phase of transition.” He further stated, “He went because of a decision by government. We respect it because we respect the authority.” Despite Cisse’s contract having concluded in August, he continued his role for September’s initial 2025 Afcon qualifiers, securing four points from two matches, and anticipated a 12-month extension to his agreement. Senghor elaborated, “He was surprised, but the message he gave was that he did not want to create a difficult crisis.” He added, “He’s very committed to his country. He said: ‘President, I will support Senegalese football, because I am a son of this country’.” Senghor had wished for Cisse to complete the shortest Afcon qualifying campaign in a decade, which involved all six fixtures being played within three months. “The generation of Sadio Mane, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Kalidou Koulibaly and others have maybe one or two years to play, and perhaps one more World Cup,” Senghor commented. He continued, “After that, we have the new generation – Lamine Camara, Pape Matar Sarr, Habib Diarra and all the players who were in our youth teams. We’ve been working on it for a long time and Aliou was one of the key men in this plan. We think it would have been better if he stayed for one more year to finalise the transition and leave with honour.” Nevertheless, Senghor holds the view that Cisse possesses sufficient youth to potentially return to the position in the future. Senegal’s victory at the 2021 Afcon led to widespread celebrations upon the squad’s arrival back in Dakar. Cisse’s extended period in charge – an unusual occurrence on the continent – coincided with Senegal’s most successful era, during which they held the top ranking in Africa for four years. Before his appointment in March 2015, the national team had reached one Afcon final and one World Cup, with both of these achievements occurring in 2002 when Cisse served as captain. Their enhanced performance initiated a successful period that saw the Teranga Lions achieve continental victories at the Under-20 and Under-17 levels, as well as in the African Nations Championship (CHAN). The dismissal was swift, with Cisse being relieved of his duties merely two days before a scheduled squad announcement. A statement from the sports ministry indicated that he had not met his objectives, specifically: winning this year’s Afcon and reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup (where they were defeated by England in the last 16), a decline in world rankings (Senegal is currently 20th, three positions below their highest ever), and, critically, “the risk of disaffection between our national team and the Senegalese in general”. Criticism regarding Cisse’s tactical approaches intensified following their exit from the 2023 Afcon, prompting the ministry’s intervention, which many perceived as a populist action. “The agenda of the government is not the same as the agenda of football,” Senghor stated. He added, “They decided and, unfortunately, we could not oppose it. If we want to continue, we need to do so in a framework of stability.” Senghor further remarked that any dispute between the FSF and the government would be “not fruitful”. Pape Thiaw, who previously served as Cisse’s assistant and also coached Senegal to their CHAN victory last year, was appointed to oversee Senegal’s final four Afcon 2025 qualifiers and has since completed the campaign. “We said ‘We’ll do Aliou without Aliou – he’s not here, but he’s here. Every time you are on the bench, think that Aliou is with you’,” Senghor explained. Two wins against Malawi secured their qualification from Group L with two matches remaining. There is a four-month interval until the next international break in March, at which point Senegal will recommence their efforts to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. “We have three or four months to go slowly, smartly and make the right choice,” Senghor commented, anticipating the appointment of a new coach before those upcoming games. It is likely that the FSF will seek an internal candidate, maintaining a philosophy that Senghor has championed since assuming leadership in 2009. “Nowadays, all our coaches are from our country and we don’t have any reason to change,” he affirmed. “When you want to build something in your nation, you have to first begin by building the coaches and their skills. It is working. Now is not the moment to change the philosophy.” Whoever is selected for the role will be expected to pursue ambitious objectives. The federation aims not only to surpass their historic World Cup quarter-final appearance in 2002 but also to exceed Morocco’s performance at Qatar 2022, where the Atlas Lions made history as the first African team to reach the semi-finals. “Qualifying for the Nations Cup is not an event for us now,” Senghor declared. “Now our target is to go to the World Cup every four years and to improve in the World Cup, maybe go further than Morocco – to the final. Why not? We have the potential.”