After nine and a half years in charge, Aliou Cisse has been relieved of his position as the head coach of Senegal.
By winning the postponed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in February 2022, the West Africans under the leadership of a 48-year-old captured their first continental championship.
Even though his previous contract had ended in August, he stayed in charge for Senegal’s two 2025 Afcon qualifiers last month, resulting in a 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso and a 1-0 victory over Burundi.
The FSF desired to extend Cisse’s contract; however, under Faye’s new government, the sports ministry has chosen to terminate his lengthy tenure shortly before the upcoming qualifiers.
“The FSF would like to thank Aliou Cisse for his good collaboration and brilliant results at the head of various national selections and wishes him every success for the future,” a statement said.
Although the government and the FSF have had their challenges, the unexpected timing of the move is surprising.
Cisse had already planned a press conference on Friday to announce his team for the double-header against Malawi this month.
Cisse, who earned 35 caps for Senegal as a player, assumed control in March 2015 and his long tenure solidified the Teranga Lions as Africa’s highest-ranked team for more than four years.
The team secured the Nations Cup title in Cameroon by winning on penalties against Egypt, three years after finishing as runners-up in the 2019 finals.
However, they were unable to defend their trophy this year after Ivory Coast eliminated them in the round of 16.
The Teranga Lions participated in the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cups but were eliminated in the group stage and round of 16, respectively. In December 2022, Morocco became Africa’s top-ranked nation.
Senegal is second in its group, with two points less than Sudan, leading to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The campaign is planned to resume in March of the upcoming year.
The FSF’s statement revealed that a letter received on Monday from Khady Diene Gaye, Senegal’s Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture, stated that a one-year contract extension for Cisse was not approved.
The decision was made because the team failed to meet the assigned objectives, such as reaching the World Cup quarter-finals and winning the Afcon title.
The FSF has not yet announced an interim coaching team for the upcoming 2025 Afcon qualifiers against Malawi.
Triumph and tragedy
Cisse played for Senegal’s first golden generation and had stints at Sedan, Paris St-Germain, Birmingham City, and Portsmouth.
During their first-ever World Cup appearance, he guided the national side to the quarterfinals, causing a major upset by defeating holders France.
He had a tough year in 2002. He missed the decisive penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Cameroon and faced personal tragedy in the Joola ferry disaster.
The sinking of the ship, nicknamed ‘Africa’s Titanic’, claimed the lives of eleven family members, including his sister, off the coast of The Gambia.
During an interview with BBC Sport Africa in 2022, he admitted that he still feels the impact of the tragedy and recognizes his potential involvement.
“I can’t even count how many times I took the ferry,” he said.
“Every time I came back home, I traveled on the Joola. I could have easily been on the boat, too, so I was lucky.”
He began his coaching career in 2011 when he joined the FSF, and initially worked with Senegal’s Under-23 team, including at the 2012 Olympics. Later, he took over as the head coach of the Teranga Lions after Alain Giresse left.
