Pape Thiaw, the Senegal coach shaped in France after Saint-Etienne, Strasbourg and Metz | OneFootball

Senegal were crowned African champions on Sunday, beating Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the Africa Cup of Nations final under 44-year-old head coach Pape Thiaw. It was the Lions of Teranga's second crown.

Le Progres profiles the young coach, whose path was forged partly in France.

Born on 5 February 1981 in Dakar, Thiaw began at ASC Yeggo. He moved to AS Saint-Etienne at 16, played for the reserves and made a single first-team appearance before a loan to Swiss side Delémont. He returned to France with Istres in 1999-2000, tallying around 30 matches and six goals.

Between stints elsewhere in Europe, he played for Strasbourg in 2001-2002, recording 11 matches and one goal, then Metz in 2003-2004 with 26 matches and six goals. He later joined Créteil in 2008, scoring eight times in 15 games.

Thiaw won 16 caps for Senegal, with 2002 a landmark year. Senegal lost the AFCON final to Cameroon after a 0-0 draw, 3-2 on penalties. Months later, the Lions reached the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals, having stunned France 1-0 in the opening match.

After retiring he coached ASC Niarry Tally, then took charge of Senegal’s B team and won the CHAN in 2022. He succeeded Aliou Cissé, who had been in post nearly 10 years, as senior head coach in October 2024. He is now the first manager to have won both the CHAN and the AFCON.

Source: Le Progres