• Pape Thiaw becomes the first African coach to win two major international titles against host countries.

• Senegal defeat hosts Algeria (CHAN 2022) and hosts Morocco (AFCON 2025 Final) under Thiaw’s leadership.

• Historic achievements strengthen Senegal’s dominance in African football and Thiaw’s legacy as national team coach.

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw has written his name in African football history after becoming the first African coach to win two major continental titles against host nations.

Thiaw first achieved the milestone at the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN), where he guided Senegal’s home-based team to a dramatic 5–4 penalty shootout victory over hosts Algeria, securing the country’s first CHAN title.

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He further cemented his status in January 2026, leading Senegal to a historic 1–0 extra-time victory over hosts Morocco in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, completing a rare double against tournament hosts.

READ ALSO: AFCON Final: Morocco vs Senegal Head-to-Head, Kick-off, Prediction

Before his coaching success, Thiaw enjoyed a professional playing career across France, Switzerland, Spain, and a brief loan spell with Dynamo Moscow in Russia. He also represented Senegal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring five international goals.

Thiaw previously managed Senegal’s A’ national team, restricted to domestic league players, while the senior national team was under Aliou Cissé. Following Cissé’s dismissal, Thiaw was appointed head coach of the Senegal senior national team on December 13, 2024.

In October 2025, he led Senegal to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, before crowning his rise with the AFCON 2025 triumph.

With these achievements, Pape Thiaw has firmly established himself as one of Africa’s most successful and resilient coaches, delivering historic victories on the continent’s biggest stages.