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Since the exit of Aliou Cisse, Senegal reflects on a golden era grappling with an unexpected transition and deep emotions.
It is exactly 48 days since the architect of Senegalese football’s golden era Aliou Cisse parted ways with the national team.
The revered coach, who guided Senegal to their historic Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph in 2022, was dismissed in October following a directive from the country’s sports ministry, despite strong backing from the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF).
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FSF president Augustin Senghor has now broken his silence, revealing the federation’s regret and emphasizing that the decision to sack Cisse was not theirs.
"Before he arrived, we had never won a continental trophy," Senghor told BBC Sport Africa.
"This was enormous for us. For this reason, I think it was good to let him finish his job, because Senegal is in a phase of transition."
Cisse, who led the Teranga Lions to their first-ever AFCON title and a second-place finish in 2019, also took Senegal to two FIFA World Cups during his nearly decade-long tenure.
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Notably, his side had not lost a competitive match, barring penalty shootouts, since the beginning of 2022.
However, despite his track record, his departure came swiftly, just two days before he was set to announce the squad for Senegal’s next matches.
Although his contract expired in August, Cisse had continued to lead the team, securing four points in Senegal’s opening qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON.
The former Former Birmingham City and Portsmouth midfielder had been expecting a 12-month extension when the sports ministry intervened.
"He was surprised, but the message he gave was that he did not want to create a difficult crisis," Senghor explained.
"He's very committed to his country. He said: 'President, I will support Senegalese football, because I am a son of this country.'"
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FSF had hoped to see Cisse complete what would have been one of the shortest AFCON qualifying campaigns in history, as all six fixtures were to be played in just three months.
Senghor believed the 48-year-old was the best person to steer Senegal through a critical period of transition.
"The generation of Sadio Mane, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Kalidou Koulibaly, and others have maybe one or two years to play, and perhaps one more World Cup," Senghor said.
"After that, we have the new generation – Lamine Camara, Pape Matar Sarr, Habib Diarra, and all the players who were in our youth teams. We’ve been working on it for a long time, and Aliou was one of the key men in this plan."
Cisse’s tenure marked Senegal’s most sustained period of footballing success.
Under his leadership, Senegal not only reached the pinnacle of African football but also dominated at Under-17, Under-20, and African Nations Championship (CHAN) levels.
Such achievements helped cement the Teranga Lions’ status as Africa’s top-ranked side for four consecutive years.
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Senghor expressed optimism that Cisse, still young in coaching terms, might one day return to lead Senegal again.
"We think it would have been better if he stayed for one more year to finalize the transition and leave with honour," he said.
"But he is young, and the door is always open."
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