Patrick Vieira appointed Senegal manager after Pape Thiaw departure

Patrick Vieira has been appointed manager of Senegal, returning to the country where he was born after the Senegalese Football Federation dismissed Pape Thiaw following the team’s exit from the World Cup.

Vieira’s appointment was unanimously approved by the federation’s emergency committee during an extraordinary meeting held by video conference on Monday, 17 August 2026, at 15:00 local time.

In an official statement, the Senegalese Football Federation said: “The Senegalese Football Federation wishes to inform the public, the media and all football stakeholders that its emergency committee held an extraordinary meeting by videoconference on Monday 17 August 2026, at exactly 3pm.”

The statement added: “The emergency committee unanimously approved the appointment of Patrick Vieira as head coach of the Senegal senior national team.”

It described the decision as “an important new stage in the Senegalese Football Federation’s commitment to building a high-level technical staff that fully reflects the sporting ambitions of our country”.

Talks over Vieira’s administrative and contractual terms are still taking place between the relevant parties. The federation said the date of his official presentation, along with the next steps for the start of his duties, would be announced later.

Vieira, who holds French nationality, has Senegalese roots and was born in the capital, Dakar, in 1976. He began his coaching career with Manchester City’s youth set-up before moving on to manage New York City FC.

He later took charge of French club Nice, English side Crystal Palace and French team Strasbourg. His most recent managerial position was with Italian club Genoa.

The federation announced the removal of Thiaw after Senegal were eliminated from the World Cup in the last 32. The Lions of Teranga lost 3-2 to Belgium despite leading 2-0 until the 86th minute.

Under Thiaw, Senegal played 25 matches in all competitions, winning 15, drawing four and losing six.

Senegal also won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations during Thiaw’s tenure. However, the title was subsequently withdrawn by the Confederation of African Football because of the coach’s decision to withdraw before victory over Morocco had been achieved.

Senegal international Pape Gueye had previously said he would not play for the national team unless Thiaw left his position after the World Cup elimination.

Vieira now takes charge of a side whose recent campaign combined strong results under Thiaw with a controversial end to its continental success. The federation has presented the former midfielder’s appointment as part of a wider effort to establish a technical structure capable of matching Senegal’s sporting ambitions.

The timing and details of Vieira’s first official duties remain subject to the conclusion of the ongoing discussions, with the federation expected to provide further information about his presentation and the beginning of his tenure at a later date.