Senegal star Gueye announces national team boycott until coaching staff sacked

Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye has sensationally announced he will step away from international duty for as long as head coach Pape Thiaw remains in charge, deepening the crisis surrounding the Teranga Lions following their dramatic World Cup exit.

The 27-year-old Villarreal playmaker made the declaration on social media on Wednesday, just a day after Senegal surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to Belgium in a chaotic last-32 tie. Belgium struck twice late in normal time through Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans, before Tielemans converted a highly contentious 125th-minute penalty to break Senegalese hearts.

Gueye, who started the match but was substituted after 66 minutes, did not mince his words.

“I will come back to say a few words about the elimination… but I am announcing today that as long as this coaching staff is in place, I will be taking a break from the national team,” Gueye wrote. The 45-capped international, who scored twice in Senegal’s group-stage victory over Iraq, has become the first high-profile player to publicly rebuke Thiaw’s leadership.

The decision caps a tumultuous period for Senegal, who were stripped of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in March – a ruling the federation is currently appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

That Afcon final was mired in controversy when Thiaw, enraged by a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco, marched his players off the pitch. They returned after a 17-minute delay, saved the spot-kick, and won the match in extra time. However, Caf overturned the result, citing the walk-off, handing the trophy to Morocco and tarnishing Thiaw’s tenure.

The latest defeat to Belgium has reignited fury among fans and players. Senegal had looked set for a famous victory after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr, only for a defensive collapse and a contentious VAR penalty decision – which saw the referee point to the spot for a handball – to condemn them to a historic collapse.

It marks the first time in World Cup history that a team has lost a knockout tie after leading by two goals, adding a bitter footnote to Senegal’s campaign.

With Gueye’s boycott now public, questions will intensify over Thiaw’s future. The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) faces an immediate dilemma: risk a fracturing of the squad ahead of upcoming qualifiers, or act on the player’s ultimatum.

Thiaw, who took over in December 2024, has not yet commented on Gueye’s statement. However, with one of Africa’s most talented midfielders refusing to play, the pressure on the embattled coach and the federation is reaching fever pitch.