Patrick Vieira has officially been appointed as the new head coach of the Senegal national football team. The 50-year-old tactician, who was born in Senegal, takes the reins following his departure from Italian side Genoa last November.
Vieira arrives to replace Pape Thiaw, who was relieved of his duties after Senegal’s disappointing exit in the round of 32 at the most recent World Cup. The national team has endured a difficult run, suffering defeats in three of their four tournament matches against France, Norway, and Belgium.
The appointment marks a return to management for the former Arsenal captain, who previously held roles at Nice and New York City FC. He later spent two years at the helm of Crystal Palace before moving to Strasbourg in 2023 and subsequently completing a 12-month tenure with Genoa.
During his illustrious playing career, Vieira earned 107 caps for France. He achieved significant success on the international stage, winning both the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship, while also securing three Premier League titles during his time in London.
Regarding his new role, officials stated: “The date of the official presentation and the next steps in its installation will be communicated at a later date. Welcome to Senegal, coach.”
Vieira’s arrival follows a period of intense controversy for the Senegalese side. Earlier this year, in January, Senegal had been crowned Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) champions after a dramatic 1-0 victory over Morocco, which was decided in extra time.
That final was marred by a significant protest during added time. Senegal players walked off the pitch after Morocco was awarded a penalty with the score tied at 0-0. Following a 20-minute delay, the team returned to play, and goalkeeper Brahim Diaz successfully saved the resulting penalty.
Despite the initial 1-0 win, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeals board later overturned the result following a formal protest from Senegal. Consequently, Morocco was awarded a 3-0 forfeit victory and the title. The dispute remains ongoing, with a hearing scheduled at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 8 October.
The football calendar remains busy with various fixtures approaching. On 21 August 2026, several matches are scheduled, including Waldhof Mannheim against 1.FCK, Preussen Münster versus Karlsruher SC, and St. Tönis taking on Eintracht Frankfurt, all kicking off at 21:30.
Additional fixtures on that date include Union Berlin Women facing Bayern Munich Women at 21:50, while Liefering plays Austria II and SKU Amstetten meets Hertha Wels, both starting at 22:00.
In other football news, the Saudi League title race saw a delay for Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. A costly error by goalkeeper Bento prevented the team from securing the championship this past Tuesday, as they held a 1-0 lead until the 53rd minute of the second half before the mistake occurred.
Meanwhile, the Premier League recently issued a statement regarding a controversial non-penalty decision involving Tottenham’s James Maddison during a match against Leeds. The league clarified the officiating reasoning behind the decision, which occurred as the midfielder made his return from injury. The report also notes that before undertaking a 12-month stint with Genoa, he left Palace in March 2023 to join Strasbourg as head coach the same year. The report also notes that however, the game was marred by controversy after Senegal staged a walk-off protest in added time after Morocco were awarded a penalty when the score was level at 0-0. The report also notes that the Senegal players returned to the pitch and Brahim Diaz had his penalty saved, as the game went into extra time, after a break of approximately 20 minutes. The report also notes that the Senegal-born former Arsenal captain had been out of work since being sacked by the Serie A club. The report also notes that michaely Bihina wins Africa Cup of Nations and is named best goalkeeper OffsAIde. The report also notes that michaely Bihina wins Africa Cup of Nations and is named best goalkeeper. The report also notes that tabitha Chawinga praised by former coach ahead of AFCON final OffsAIde. The report also notes that asimenye Simwaka balances sprints and football as Malawi reach AFCON final OffsAIde.
