Aliou Cissé’s near-10-year tenure at the helm of Senegal senior men’s national football team has come to an end, with the Senegal Football Federation confirming on Wednesday that his contract was not being renewed by the country’s sports ministry.
The 48-year-old, who coached Senegal to their first Africa Cup of Nations title in Cameroon in 2022, has been informed that his contract — which expired in August — will not be extended in order for him to oversee the coming AFCON-World Cup cycle.
The Senegalese Football Federation confirmed the news in a communiqué on Wednesday, indicating that they were informed in a confidential letter received on Monday from the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Mrs Khady Diene Gaye, that Cissé’s extension would not be validated after he failed to achieve the objectives outlined in his contract.
While Cissé was an African champion two-and-a-half years ago, Senegal failed to retain the title in Ivory Coast earlier this year, which was one of his contractual targets. In 2022 they also missed out on the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals after being defeated by England in the round of 16.
“The regression of our national team in the FIFA rankings, and the risk of disenchantment between our national team and the Senegalese people,” were also given as reasons for the non-renewal of his contract.
“Mr Cissé is no longer covered by a contract duly approved by the state of Senegal, and can no longer take charge of the national team,” the federation said in the communiqué, seen by ESPN.
The ministry has invited the federation to recruit a technical team to ensure the country’s qualification for the 2025 Nations Cup, with an interim coaching staff to oversee the team’s coming AFCON-qualifying double-header against Malawi on Oct. 11 and 15.
Cissé had been due to announce his squad for those fixtures in a press conference on Friday, but that has been cancelled.
“The Senegalese Federation [thanks] Mr Cissé for his good collaboration and his gleaming results at the head of various national teams since his arrival in 2011,” the communique said.
“We wish him much success for the future.”
Senegal have not lost a competitive match in 90 minutes since England defeated them at the Qatar World Cup, with their AFCON elimination earlier this year coming on penalties to eventual champions Ivory Coast in the round of 16.
They’ve won four of their six matches since the Nations Cup, including away victories over Mauritania and Burundi in World Cup and AFCON qualifying respectively. Supporters have been less impressed by their recent home performances, howevers, with 1-1 draws against the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso in Diamniadio leading to some questions about Cissé’s ongoing ability to get the most out of this talented squad.
Ziquinchor-born Cissé captained the iconic Senegal team that defeated world champions France in their first World Cup appearance in 2002, going on to reach the quarterfinals of that tournament in the same year that they also reached a first AFCON final, falling to Cameroon on penalties in Bamako.
