Following their exit from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after a 0-0 draw against hosts Morocco in their final group fixture, Senegal coach Mama Moussa Cisse has thrown in the towel.
The West Africans went into the Group A fixture seeking to beat the hosts and stand a chance to reach the quarter-finals, but they only managed a draw, which was not enough.
Speaking after the game, Cisse confirmed he was stepping down from the coaching role and wished the team all the best in future endeavours.
“It’s time to leave and let others come and break through this glass ceiling. Today (Monday), we have a good team, we’re in a good dynamic,” said Cisse as quoted by Wiw Sport.
“Perhaps another coach, with a different vision and experience, can lead this team towards the goals we’ve set for ourselves.
“I’ve been here for 10 years. It’s time to hand the reins over to someone else, to try new things. I’ve given everything I had, but apparently, it’s not enough.”
Cisse further admitted Senegal’s objective at the WAFCON 2026 was not achieved and further took full responsibility for the team’s failures in Morocco.
“The objective was not achieved,” acknowledged Cisse. “On a personal level, I take responsibility. This third consecutive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations was supposed to be my last.”
Cissé is inextricably linked to the history of the Lionesses, whom he knew as assistant coach between 2013 and 2015, before taking the reins for two periods, from 2015 to 2017, and then from 2019 to 2026.
