Former Arsenal and Inter Milan midfielder Patrick Vieira has been officially appointed head coach of Senegal's national team, replacing Pape Thiaw.
Vieira was born in Dakar, Senegal's capital, but played internationally for France. In 1998, he was part of the first French squad to win the World Cup.
The 50-year-old coach takes over from Thiaw, who led Senegal to the CAN 2025 title, but the trophy was later stripped and awarded to Morocco after Senegal walked off the pitch mid-final.
Thiaw faced heavy criticism after Senegal was eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, losing 2-3 to Belgium, and was subsequently dismissed.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said in a social media post that Vieira's appointment was a "strategic move" to "establish a high-level technical structure, in line with the country's sporting ambitions."
Vieira began his playing career at Cannes in France before moving to AC Milan. He was then brought to Arsenal by fellow countryman Arsene Wenger, where he won three Premier League titles from 1996 to 2005. He also played for Juventus and Inter Milan, before ending his career at Manchester City in 2011.
Apart from the World Cup, Vieira also won Euro 2000 with France and earned over 100 caps.
Vieira's coaching career started at New York City FC (MLS) in 2016. He then returned to France to manage Nice (2018), followed by Crystal Palace in the Premier League, Strasbourg, and Genoa.
The FSF added that an official unveiling and next steps will be announced later. Senegal's upcoming matches are the CAN 2027 qualifiers during the FIFA Days from September 21 to October 6, 2026, with the team grouped alongside Mozambique, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
