Hervé Renard and Augustin Senghor seem distant on their declarations concerning the succession of Aliou Cissé. The French coach recently revealed there had been “discussions” for the position, expressing his wish to have Omar Daf, a former Senegalese international, as his assistant. However, Renard had to withdraw his application, explaining that the condition of working with Daf, who is currently coaching at Amiens in Ligue 2, was not feasible.
On the other hand, Augustin Senghor, the president of the Senegalese Football Federation, disputes these remarks. He claims to have received no application from Renard or his representatives, stressing that no application file has been opened since Cissé’s departure.
Despite his ambitions to coach “one of the best African teams”, Renard recognizes that the conditions necessary for his appointment were not met. For the moment, it is Pape Thiaw, former deputy of Cissé, who is taking charge of the interim.
Currently, Renard is settling in Saudi Arabia, a country he knows well having managed the men’s selection in the past. He aspires to “qualify the Green Falcons for the 2026 World Cup”, a challenge he considers exciting. During an interview with the newspaper Le Monde, he said he had always followed the Saudi championship and the selection since his departure.
With only five points collected after four days of qualifying, Renard is realistic: “With six games remaining, it’s an exciting challenge. If we succeed, I will continue with my sights set on the 2027 Asian Nations Cup. Otherwise, we will say goodbye. »
Asked about his motivation and the risk of tarnishing his image by returning to Saudi Arabia, Renard replied that money had never been his driving force in his career choices. “What guides me is passion, human relationships, fervor. Today, I have the chance to be freer in my choices. I am a sensitive person,” he concluded.
