By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Senegal have appointed France’s 1998 World Cup winner Patrick Vieira as head coach, the country’s football federation announced Tuesday, 18 August 2026.
Viera succeeds Pape Thiaw, who was dismissed in the wake of their World Cup exit. The 45-year-old former Senegal international had taken over in 2024.
The appointment of Vieira was ratified on Monday, the Senegal’s football federation (FSF) said.
Born in Senegal’s capital Dakar, Vieira will now manage the country of his birth, having moved to France aged eight before later winning over 100 caps for Les Bleus and lifting the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000.
FSF said the appointment reflects its “desire to strengthen its high-level technical staff” and is “perfectly aligned” with the nation’s sporting ambitions.
Details of Vieria’s contract and his starting date in the role are still being discussed.
His first matches in charge of the Teranga Lions are expected to come next month in qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
During his playing career, midfielder Vieira won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups at Arsenal, as well as silverware with AC Milan, Inter Milan and Manchester City.
He retired in 2011 and became the manager of New York City in 2016 before returning to Europe with Nice and leading them to seventh in Ligue 1 in his first season.
Vieira was sacked in December 2020 and became Crystal Palace manager the following year, guiding the Eagles to 12th in the Premier League and the FA Cup semi-finals in 2021-22.
He was dismissed in March 2023 after a 12-game winless run, before joining RC Strasbourg as their first appointment following a takeover by BlueCo, the company which owns Chelsea. He left Strasbourg by mutual consent in July 2024.