Contrary to what was announced: Vieira stirs division within the Senegalese federation
The appointment of the French coach causes a suppressed crisis within the corridors of the federation
The Senegalese Football Federation's announcement on Tuesday of Frenchman Patrick Vieira as the national team's new technical director did not pass quietly within the federation's corridors, even though it had been expected for days.
Vieira's appointment became official one day after an emergency meeting of the Senegalese Football Federation's executive committee, held via video link on Monday evening.
An official statement from the Senegalese federation read: "The Senegalese Football Federation announces to the public, the media and all football stakeholders that its emergency committee held an extraordinary meeting via video link on Monday 17 August 2026, at three o'clock in the afternoon."
It added: "Following deliberations, the emergency committee unanimously approved the appointment of Patrick Vieira to the post of head coach of Senegal's senior national team."
Unanimity on paper only?
Although the Senegalese federation confirmed that Vieira's appointment carried the unanimous support of the emergency committee members, that unanimity does not, according to Senegalese press reports, reflect the reality of what took place inside the meeting and in the days before it.
Information from investigative journalist Khadim Diakhaté, reported by the Senegalese newspaper "L'Observateur", suggests the choice of the French coach initially sparked "heated debates" and "tensions" among the executive committee members.
The objection did not centre on Vieira alone, as the "Afrik Foot" website reported. Some federation members were not entirely convinced by the profile of a coach whose career has declined over recent seasons, particularly after his most recent stint with Genoa. But the most controversial point was how the appointment process was handled.
Reports pointed to a number of executive committee members criticising the president of the Senegalese Football Federation, Abdoulaye Fall, over his single-handed handling of the matter and his failure to sufficiently involve the committee in selecting the new coach.
Those disagreements went beyond Vieira himself. According to the reports, they widened into a broader row over how the federation is run, and over respect for its regulatory texts and procedures.
Vieira faces a new task
The Senegalese federation is expected to present its new coach to the media on a date that remains unset, with the federation explaining that the timing of the press conference "will be the subject of a later announcement".
Vieira, who is 50 years old, will spend the coming period consulting federation officials over the make-up of his coaching staff, in preparation for officially beginning his task with the "Lions of Teranga".
The French coach is expected to earn a monthly salary of 35 million CFA francs, equivalent to around 53,357 euros.
