Senegal: Aliou Cissé stays on as Lions of Teranga coach
Aliou Cissé will remain in charge of the Lions of Teranga until 2024. He will lead Senegal to the Ivory Coast Africa Cup of Nations.
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After the Lions of Teranga were knocked out in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, voices in Senegal called for Aliou Cissé to be sacked. They argued that the 46-year-old coach had missed one of the targets written into his contract: a place in the World Cup quarter-finals. The Senegalese sports daily Record had also claimed that a group of "influential federation members" were calling for his head, believing he "had reached his limits".
The president of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), Augustin Senghor, has put an end to the speculation. Speaking on 2STV (a local private channel), the head of Senegalese football announced that the former Paris Saint-Germain player will lead the African champions into the next continental tournament. "We have a project. And it provides for the national coach to take the team to defend our continental title at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast (2024)", Augustin Senghor explained, as quoted by Record on Tuesday 27 December.
Those who had begun sketching the profile of Aliou Cissé's potential successor will have to think again, as will the coaches who hoped to replace him in the short term. The FSF has opted for continuity. For stability.
Target: 2024
Strengthened by the decision, the Lions coach can now look ahead calmly to the next challenges. The most immediate: qualifying for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations. After two matchdays, Senegal top Group L, which they share with Benin, Mozambique and Rwanda. Sadio Mané and his team-mates have won both of their games. They beat Benin's Squirrels (3-1) and Rwanda's Wasps (1-0).
According to the Senegalese press, Aliou Cissé had been considering leaving after the World Cup. These sources report that he consulted members of his staff and his behind-the-scenes advisers. While the former were in favour of resigning, the latter had asked him to think it over further. All of that now seems to be in the past following the announcement from the head of Senegalese football.
Aliou Cissé has been Lions coach since 2015. Before the departure for Qatar, his contract was extended until 2024. His new deal comes with a 50% pay rise, which now earns him around 35,000 euros a month.
The Editorial Team - Sport News Africa