The immunity of his superb victory during the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2021 could not be extended constantly: Aliou Cissé was not extended at the head of the Senegalese selection and he left his post after nine years as coach.
The coach learned this Wednesday that his contract was not renewed and that he will leave his position. A decision taken by the State which informed the Senegalese Football Federation this Wednesday morning by a confidential letter. His replacement will be appointed in the coming weeks but must be Senegalese.
The former PSG defender also reached the CAN final in 2019, lost to Algeria. And he also qualified the Téranga Lions for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Cissé had benefited from the best Senegalese generation with players like Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly or Édouard Mendy. These results make Aliou Cissé a legend of Senegal. He leaves his team in two second places for the moment: in the qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup and also that for qualification for the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
The departure of Cissé, in office since 2015, comes, according to the Senegalese newspaper Sud Quotidien, in a context of “growing disenchantment between the national team and the public in recent months”. Despite its success at CAN 2021, which nevertheless marked the history of Senegalese football, the team’s recent performances have failed to fully satisfy the supporters. Some criticized Cissé in particular for a style of play considered too conservative.
In Senegal, as everywhere on the football planet, the space between the glory of a historic success and a departure under popular pressure is increasingly short.
