The Teranga Lions of Senegal have part company with head coach and football legend, Alou Cisse, just over a week before the country takes on Malawi twice in the 2025 AFCON Qualifiers.
Cisse’s exit brings an end to a stint which started in March 2015 and lasted for nine and a half years. He remained in charge of the team despite his last contract ending in August 2024, guiding the team to four points from two matches in the AFCON Qualifiers.
The country’s football federation is reported to have wanted a contract extension for Cisse, but the Sports Ministry decided otherwise, despite Cisse already calling a press conference where he was to announce the squad list for the Malawi double-header in mid-October.
During his spell in charge, Cisse led the Senegal national team to a first AFCON title in the 2021 edition held in 2022, having guided the team to the competition’s final in 2019 before losing to Algeria.
Cisse also qualified Senegal for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022. The Teranga Lions also became Africa’s highest ranked team for four years before losing the position to Morocco’s Atlas Lions in December 2022.