Senegal announced the dismissal of head coach Pape Thiaw this weekend, ending a tenure that closes in World Cup ignominy, but one which will enter the annals of Senegalese and African football.
He departs after a disastrous tournament, amidst administrative dysfunction, dressing room unrest, public criticism and tactical errors. Yet he also leaves having restored Senegal to the summit of African football, whose Africa Cup of Nations triumph - underpinned by his staging a walk-out in the final - will endure both for the boost it gave Senegalese football, and - briefly at least - for the pan-African sentiment it inspired.
When Aliou Cisse was let go in October 2024, Senegalese football was not united behind the decision. The respected Cisse had taken Senegal to the top of the African game during his decade-long tenure - winning the country's first Africa Cup of Nations - but lost his job after a disappointing AFCON in 2024.
Thiaw, who had been Cisse's assistant, represented continuity in personnel but was a more vocal, confident, brash figure than his predecessor.
The changes he introduced were subtle but effective; Krepin Diatta - formerly a winger - was established as the team's first choice right back while on the other flank El Hadji Malick Diouf was promoted to starting left back, and the pair gave Senegal clear attacking intent and quality delivery from wide positions. Some of the 2021 AFCON winners dropped out of the national pool altogether, Habib Diallo was deprioritised, and Iliman Ndiaye became more prominent - even if, right until the end, he arguably wasn't used entirely effectively.
Largely, however, Thiaw maintained the qualities that had anchored Senegalese success under Cisse: the impermeable defensive triangle, a muscular/combative midfield, the inspiration of Sadio Mane, and fast, mobile attacking options.
During the AFCON, Senegal were rarely exhilarating, but they conceded just two in seven throughout the tournament, although their final victory over Morocco will never purely be a footballing victory.
In the weekend ahead of the showdown, Thiaw had publicly urged the Confederation of African Football to protect African football's credibility amid growing perceptions that Morocco, as hosts and future World Cup 2030 co-hosts, were benefiting from favourable treatment.Thiaw urged Morocco to protect the 'image of Africa' ahead of the final, while citing logistics, training facilities, accommodation and ticketing as four areas in which he felt Senegal had been treated unfairly.
Many African countries - particularly those who had already been eliminated by Morocco, feeling that the deck had been stacked against them - applauded Thiaw for standing up to the authorities. Perhaps this emboldened him ahead of his behaviour in the Rabat final.
A disallowed Senegal goal was promptly followed by a penalty awarded to Morocco following extensive VAR consultation by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala. The sense of injustice proved too much for Thiaw, who ordered his players off the field amidst crowd violence and frantic scenes between the two benches.
For over ten minutes, the fate of the final hung in the balance, with the game descending into perhaps the ugliest spectacle African football has ever witnessed. Certainly, the 'image of Africa' was damaged... and Thiaw was its architect.
The final eventually resumed; Brahim Diaz, rattled by the delay, opted for a Panenka, Edouard Mendy saved, the match went to extra time, and Pape Gueye scored the winner. Diplomatic relations between Morocco and Senegal still haven't recovered, it remains to be seen whether and how the AFCON brand will be damaged by the incident into the future.
History will never completely absolve Thiaw for the decisions he made that night. Afterwards, he insisted that he was merely thinking of his players: "I simply tried to protect my players from injustice," he posted on Instagram. "What some will see as a violation of the rules is nothing more than an emotional reaction to the bias of the situation."
As an excuse, it didn't fly. CAF suspended him for five months and imposed a substantial fine for bringing the game into disrepute. In Senegal, the response - and his standing - could not have been more different. The scenes upon the team's return were extraordinary; thousands greeted the champions as conquering heroes. Thiaw, despite his suspension, and despite continental criticism, had delivered another continental crown. In Dakar, he was celebrated as a man who had refused to bow, regardless of the consequences.
This affection extended beyond Senegal's borders, with Thiaw seen as a Robin Hood figure in the face of perceived, alleged, CAF-Morocco collusion.
When the Teranga Lions assembled again during the March international window, the reception in Paris at the Stade de France from Senegal's vast diaspora reflected just how deeply Africa's new champions connected with their supporters. Thiaw was relaxed, smiling, almost overwhelmed by the scale of the appreciation. Maybe his $100,000 fine was a small price to pay for becoming a national hero and bringing home a second AFCON crown.
Few could have imagined that four months later he would be gone.
Everything has unravelled with alarming speed, with the World Cup exposing weaknesses that AFCON glory had once concealed. Some were tactical, some related to personnel; Thiaw's continued reliance upon Kalidou Koulibaly despite his decline and recent injury absence appeared sentimental rather than pragmatic, and Senegal's once immaculate defensive structure began creaking.
The collapse from 2-0 ahead against Belgium - arguably facilitated by Thiaw's perplexing substitutions - will haunt him for years, as Senegal surrendered control, lost the initiative, and watched Belgium sense vulnerability before staging a remarkable comeback.
Other weaknesses were administrative. The tournament became overshadowed by reports of contractual uncertainty, disputes with the federation, payment disagreements, inadequate preparation, catering problems within the camp, logistics issues, unprofessional behaviour, conflicting agendas and persistent distractions surrounding bonuses.
Koulibaly told EPSN that he didn't believe the external factors had an impact on the team's on-field struggles. "I think we're looking for excuses. That's stuff outside of football. We need to focus on the pitch and on what happens there."
Thiaw publicly agreed, but even the fact he was answering administrative questions midway through a World Cup was a problem. "There have been some issues," he said. "But whatever they are, the players, the coaching staff, the federation are focused on [the Norway] match.
"The matter [of his contract] has been resolved. It's true that it took too long. The only thing I want to make clear is that it was never about money. It was a matter of principle and respect."
Not the words of a happy employee.
Rather than providing stability, Senegal's football authorities created instability and uncertainty. Thiaw confirmed that he didn't even have a contract when the tournament began, with a deal only being done - belatedly - ahead of the Norway game.
Thiaw seemed transformed. Gone was the confidence, the composure, the bravado of January...this was a coach who had smiled calmly in the post-AFCON final press conference as Moroccan journalists hurled aggressive abuse at him before ultimately boycotting the interaction.
Instead, his answers were shortened, his voice slow and monotone, his demeanour downtrodden. The dressing room also fractured.
Gueye didn't mention Thiaw specifically in his post-tournament Instagram announcement that he would no longer represent Senegal while the existing 'technical staff' are in place but expressed his dissatisfaction with the coach very visibly as he was substituted against Belgium. Others were forced to come out on social media to deny reports of rifts and dissatisfaction. By the time the Senegalese Football Federation acted this weekend, the outcome felt inevitable.
It's impossible to ignore that the federation dismissed a coach whose own authority had repeatedly been undermined by the very institution now judging him. Maybe they were never entirely convinced by Thiaw, his tactics, his behaviour at the AFCON, the PR consequences, and are quietly happy to have parted ways with a character who they could hardly have dismissed in the immediate aftermath of his Nations Cup triumph.
Thiaw's story - his remarkable triumph, and his World Cup failure - is one of nuanced situations. The glories of January could not come without the ignominy of that final, nor could the disastrous collapse against Belgium not be truly understood without the troubled context in which Senegal attempted to tackle this tournament.
The World Cup may have ended his tenure, but the Africa Cup of Nations - whether or not it officially ends up with Senegal - will ensure that he will never be forgotten.