The Senegalese Football Federation has appointed former Arsenal and France midfielder Patrick Vieira as the head coach of the Senegal senior national team.
The 50-year-old replaces Pape Thiaw, who left the position following Senegal’s elimination in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Senegal were beaten 3–2 by Belgium after extra time.
Thiaw had guided Senegal to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, where they initially defeated hosts Morocco 1–0 after extra time. However, CAF later overturned the result and awarded Morocco a 3–0 victory after ruling that Senegal had forfeited the final following the team’s walk-off during the match.
Senegal appealed the CAF decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with the case scheduled to be heard on 8 October 2026.
Senegal statement shared on their platform:
“The Senegalese Football Federation informs the public, the press and all football stakeholders that its Emergency Committee met in an extraordinary session by videoconference on Monday, 17 August 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
The meeting was attended by all statutory members of the Committee, with the exception of Mr Cheikh Ahmet Tidiane SECK, 6th Vice-President, whose absence was duly excused.
Following its deliberations, the Emergency Committee unanimously approved the appointment of Mr Patrick VIEIRA as Head Coach of the Senegal Senior National Team (“A” National Team).
This strategic decision marks a new step in the FSF’s determination to establish a high-level technical team, fully aligned with the sporting ambitions of our country.
Discussions regarding the administrative and contractual arrangements for his appointment are ongoing between the parties. The date of the official presentation of the new national team coach, as well as the next steps in his installation, will be communicated at a later date.”
Before taking charge of Senegal, Vieira managed New York City FC, Nice, Crystal Palace, Strasbourg and Genoa. He also previously worked with Manchester City’s youth setup. This is his first senior national-team head-coaching role.
