The arrival of Patrick Vieira as the new coach of Senegal comes at a particularly difficult time for the national team - so much so that there is the possibility the former France captain may not even take charge of the Teranga Lions. The 50-year-old's appointment has been announced despite him not having signed a contract, and the date of his official presentation remains unknown. Senegal's football federation (FSF), which is currently riven by off-field issues, said discussions regarding the "administrative and contractual arrangements" for Vieira are continuing between the two parties.
The ex-Arsenal and Inter Milan midfielder was unanimously approved as the man to succeed Pape Thiaw at an FSF meeting on Monday, with former Netherlands international Patrick Kluivert among the other names considered. However, uncertainty surrounding the termination of Thiaw's deal remains. Vieira's predecessor was sacked following the dramatic last-32 exit to Belgium at the Fifa World Cup without Senegal's government, which funds the national team, formally endorsing the decision.
He is demanding the payment of several months' worth of outstanding wages as well as various bonuses, with the total reportedly amounting to almost $815,000 (£600,000). Meanwhile, a ruling on the election of the current FSF leadership - which has been contested for the past year - is expected from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) by Friday. With the FSF leadership increasingly isolated, without the backing of the government or the general public's support, and constrained by the impending Cas ruling, it nevertheless had little choice but to act quickly to fill the Teranga Lions hotseat.
The calendar will not wait, with Senegal back in action in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) on 23 September when they travel to Mozambique in their Group J opener. A meeting with Ethiopia follows days later. The Cas ruling in Lausanne could call into question the legitimacy of the FSF hierarchy and potentially even the choice of Vieira as head coach.
Moreover, for all his achievements as one of the greatest footballers of the modern era Vieira's record in management has been less impressive. Beyond all of that, Vieira's connection with Senegal carries a deeply symbolic significance. Born in Dakar in June 1976 to a Cape Verdean mother and a Gabonese father, Vieira began kicking a football around the sandy streets of the capital until the age of eight.
His family moved to France and his life went in a different direction, becoming a Premier League icon during his time with Arsenal, amassing over a century of France caps, and helping Les Blues to the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. He faced Senegal only once as a player, in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup when France suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against a generation led by Aliou Cisse and including Thiaw - the two men whose coaching legacy he is now following. But Vieira never truly severed ties with the country of his birth.
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