Senegal national team has officially appointed former Arsenal and France legend Patrick Vieira as their new head coach.
The 50 year old manager takes charge of his country of birth as Senegal prepares for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Senegal will face the Ethiopian national team in Group J Matchday 2 on September 29 at the Bahir Dar Stadium.
Vieira steps into the role following the departure of Pape Thiaw, who had been serving as the team’s interim head coach. The Senegalese Football Federation mutually parted ways with Thiaw to transition into a new long term technical direction under Vieira’s management.
Born in Dakar, Senegal, Vieira had an illustrious playing career representing France on the international stage, winning the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. At the club level the legendary midfielder won three Premier League titles with Arsenal and featured for top European clubs including AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Manchester City.
Since transitioning to coaching, Vieira has taken charge of several clubs including New York City, Nice, Crystal Palace, Strasbourg, and Genoa.
According to the Senegalese Football Federation, Vieira has reached an agreement to lead the national side and will officially sign his contract in a formal ceremony in the coming days.
