Senegal Coach Pape Thiaw Threatens World Cup Boycott Over Contract Renewal

The Senegalese national team is experiencing a state of tension before traveling to the United States to participate in the World Cup. Coach Pape Thiaw has threatened not to accompany the "Lions of Teranga" unless his contractual situation with the Senegalese Football Federation is resolved.

According to the Senegalese website 'senenews', the national team coach refuses to travel with the delegation without reaching a formal agreement and renewing his contract. This move has placed the Senegalese Football Federation in an urgent situation just hours before the scheduled trip to the United States.

The same source indicated that Pape Thiaw's contract with the Senegalese Federation expired in February 2026. Since that time, the coach has continued his work without any official legal framework and has not received any salary during the past months, which has further complicated his situation within the federation.

Thiaw has overseen the Senegalese national team's training sessions and recent friendly matches. He also supervised the preparation of the final 26-player squad list and completed the full preparatory program for the training camp.

However, after weeks of waiting, it appears the "Lions of Teranga" coach has decided to escalate the situation, demanding an official resolution to his status before traveling. This puts the Senegalese Federation in a race against time to avoid a new crisis within the national team before heading to the United States.