Senegalese Sports Minister Khady Diene has reiterated desire to tie down head coach Pape Thiaw following 2025 Africa Cup of Nations success.
The Taranga Lions triumphed over Morocco in a chaotic final o secure the AFCON title for the second time in their history, derailing the Atlas Lions quest of ending their 50-year continental trophy drought.
Midfielder Pape Gueye emerged as the hero for Senegal after scoring in extra-time to lead his outfit to victory over Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium after Brahim Diaz missed the penalty that had triggered the protest in the match.
Impressed by the coach performance at the AFCON success and also securing World Cup, the Senegalese Sports Ministry has moved to tie coach Pape Thiaw down, with his current contract expiring in February 2026.
“Is there a possibility of a pay rise for the coach? Yes, I can confirm that here. He has achieved his goals by qualifying the team for the World Cup and winning the Africa Cup of Nations. You don’t change a winning team, do you? So we will try to continue with him. And for this continuity, which achieves great things, great things will come.
“We are going to review the initial contract. There was a clause in his contract that stipulated not only reaching the AFCON final, but also winning the cup. As we aspire to win our first world trophy and be the first African country to win the World Cup, we need to provide our coach with the best possible conditions for performance, so that he has peace of mind and does not have to worry about money or day-to-day issues,” said Khady Diene during a discussion with the local press.
Meanwhile, Pape Thiaw has been handed Senegal head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw a five-match suspension and a $100,000 fine for his role in the chaotic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
In a statement, CAF said: “To suspend Mr Pape Bouna Thiaw, the Head Coach of the Senegalese National Team, for five (5) official CAF matches for his unsporting conduct in violation of the CAF Disciplinary Code principles of fair play and integrity and for bringing the game into disrepute.”
The statement added: “Mr Pape Bouna Thiaw was also fined USD 100,000.”
