Senegal sacks coach Thiaw after poor World Cup showing

Senegal has parted ways with coach Pape Bouna Thiaw, citing the team's disappointing results at the World Cup as the reason for the change. The decision was announced on Saturday, marking an end to Thiaw's tenure.

The Lions of Teranga had high expectations heading into the tournament, especially after their triumph in the Africa Cup of Nations final earlier in the year. However, their World Cup campaign faltered early. They suffered defeats in their first two group games against France and Norway. A dramatic late collapse against Belgium in the knockout stage, where they let a 2-0 lead slip in the final minutes before losing 3-2 in extra time, sealed their fate.

Thiaw, 45, was also facing a five-match ban starting in September for leading a player walk-off during the Africa Cup of Nations final. This incident was in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco. French sports daily L'Equipe has reported that Patrick Vieira, the former French international and World Cup winner born in Dakar, is considered a leading candidate to take over the coaching role. The Senegalese Football Federation has scheduled a press conference for Monday to address the situation.