Senegalese Football Federation holds crisis meeting after World Cup elimination, coach Pape Thiaw under scrutiny
via SeneNews1 min read
Following Senegal's 3-2 elimination by Belgium in the 2026 World Cup round of 16, the Senegalese Football Federation FSF held a crisis meeting in Seattle to review the team's performance. According to reports from Record, the FSF's Emergency Committee critically assessed Senegal's campaign, which included three losses in four matches. The sports daily also indicated that several federal officials believe coach Pape Thiaw bears significant responsibility for the failure. His tactical decisions, team selection, and in-game coaching during the competition reportedly faced strong criticism during discussions. Some members of the Emergency Committee are said to have concluded that Thiaw should now resign in light of these results. However, the FSF has not yet released any official statement confirming these details, and the coach has not publicly commented on his future. These details remain attributed to the daily newspaper Record.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Following Senegal's elimination from the 2026 World Cup, new details are surfacing regarding the internal workings of the national team. While senior players deny influencing coach Pape Thiaw's decisions, journalist Romain Molina's revelations suggest a different dynamic. Idrissa Gana Gueye stated that senior players only follow the coach's instructions and relay his messages to the team. However, Molina claims that more experienced players exerted significant influence during the tournament. He cited an incident during the 5-0 victory against Iraq, where Sadio Mané allegedly told Pape Thiaw during a cooling break, "Ibrahim Mbaye can't go on. He needs to be taken out." Ibrahim Mbaye was substituted in the 57th minute by Iliman Ndiaye, who then assisted Pape Gueye and scored Senegal's fifth goal. This event raises questions about the team's internal operations during the World Cup, especially given previous reports of tensions between some international players and the technical staff after their elimination by Belgium. The tournament concluded amidst heavy criticism of Pape Thiaw's management and Pape Gueye's decision to suspend his international career as long as the current technical staff remains.
Must ReadAfrican football teams demonstrated significant talent in the group stages of the 2026 World Cup, with 9 out of 10 teams qualifying for the second round, a historic record. However, their performance in the knockout rounds exposed underlying issues. Despite individual talent, a lack of rigor, excessive emotion, catastrophic management, and insufficient cohesion and common objective consciousness hindered their progress. The article suggests that while Africa possesses abundant football talent, the current management and coaching are not yet adequate to secure international trophies. It posits that players like Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé, if they had played for African national teams, might have faced similar disappointments. The author draws a parallel between football management and public governance, emphasizing that effective management is a long-term process. The article identifies short-sighted planning, improvisation, and a lack of ethical responsibility as major impediments to African nations' development, both in sports and broader societal contexts. Morocco is highlighted as an exception, with its football management reflecting its strong institutions and development policies, making it a model for African emergence. The World Cup outcome is presented as an opportunity for Africa to critically assess its conditions for global competitiveness.
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