Leading Through Loss: Aliou Cisse’s Road to Coaching Stardom

Aliou Cisse’s journey began with a simple dream when he was just nine years old, imagining himself as a footballer for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). His life story is one of unwavering determination, strength, and an unbreakable will to succeed, no matter the obstacles. Despite facing immense personal tragedy—losing 11 members of his close family—Cissé remained resolute, never allowing grief to hinder his aspirations. Yes, you got that right! Aliou Cisse lost 11 members of his family at the same time, in the MV Le Joola ferry disaster off the coast of The Gambia in 2002.

In this biography, we will explore the key moments that shaped his childhood, dive into his Senegalese heritage, and highlight his early career successes. We’ll trace how this former footballer evolved into one of the most prominent football coaches, admired for his leadership on and off the pitch. Join us as we uncover the story of Aliou Cissé, an athlete who rose above personal loss to become a symbol of strength and resilience.

Preamble:

Aliou Cissé is widely celebrated for his remarkable achievements in African football. He made history as the first Senegalese captain to lead his team to the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2002 and later became the first manager to win the tournament for Senegal in 2022, after narrowly missing the title in 2019.

Despite his success, many fans are unfamiliar with the full story of Aliou Cissé’s life. His journey is a fascinating one, filled with inspiring moments. In this biography, we delve deep into his early life, childhood, and family background, sharing insights about his parents—particularly his father, Pa Cissé—along with details about his siblings, children, and extended family.

To spark your interest, we present a gallery that captures Aliou Cissé’s transformation—from his humble life beginnings to his rise as an African football icon. His journey is a testament to perseverance and passion, and Aliou Cissé has indeed come a long way in his incredible career.

Aliou Cisse Childhood Story:

For Biography starters, the talented sports competitor was born Aliou Cissé on the 24th day of March 1976 in Ziguinchor, a town in the South-Western region of Senegal, before his family emigrated to France.

Aliou Cisse arrived on earth on a beautiful Wednesday to his Senegalese parents – father and mother.

The Ziguinchor-born sports lover was born amid his siblings from the union of their father and mother. Here is a photo of one of Aliou Cisse’s parents.

Growing-up years:

As a child, the distinguished athlete Aliou Cisse radiated good character and behaviour. Like most African children, even with few toys, he got involved in children’s games, making him and his peers satisfied and cheerful. He seemed playful but cool-headed.

However, his stay in Senegal was short-lived by the decision of his mum and dad to move to Paris when he was still 9.

So, while in France, he learned to watch football tournaments. Soon enough, his passion for the foot game became so compelling that he made a profession out of the sport.

Family Background:

So far, there is no record of the occupation of Aliou Cisse’s father and mother. However, it is indispensable that the Senegalese football player belonged to a hardworking middle-class but struggling household.

In addition, it takes money to be part of a football sports club or academy for a promising youngster. Likewise, the basic needs of a home, food and shelter were not a concern.

Who is Aliou Cisse’s Wife?

The Senegalese national coach and former team captain made a revelation when he showed up on some media platforms after winning the 2021 AFCON with the Senegal team.

He stated he is married to a lovely lady from Burundi, and they have been together for years.

However, only have a little knowledge about the spouse of our African coach and former footballer. Let’s show you Aliou Cissé’s wife of Burundian origin.

The date of the wedding of the duo has yet to be discovered. Despite his discretion about his family, we know he has two kids, a boy named Aliou Cisse Jr. and a girl named Chelsey.

Aliou Cisse Family Life – Tragic:

Aliou Cisse has been the subject of discussion on many platforms after he shocked the world by putting the Senegalese team ahead of all other groups that made it to the 2021 edition of AFCON in Cameroon.

Talking about his family, Aliou Cisse mentioned he had lost many family members in a tragic accident on the shores of the Gambia on a ferry on the 26th of September, 2002.

For an event of such a great massacre where over 300 passengers lost their lives, including 11 of his family members. It has become hard for him to have conversations with his family readily.

Though Aliou Cisse does not readily want to talk about his extended family, he does so about his nuclear family, including his wife and children.

Aliou Cisse’s Parents – Father:

There needs to be a record of the name of the father of Aliou Cisse. However, we know him as Pa Cisse. The African-French athlete has kept the information out of the sight of the media.

However, no matter who his father is, he must have done an excellent job in the upbringing of the talented footballer. Despite the uncomfortable economic situation of the family. In addition, the movement and settling in Paris, France.

Aliou Cisse might never have become a footballer had it not been for his dad’s contribution. As such, it’s the right thing if he shares a close bond with his father.

Aliou Cisse’s Parents – Mother:

Just like Aliou Cisse’s father, we have a little fact about the athlete’s mum. However, we know she is also of Senegalese origin in West Africa.

Likewise, she must have supported her son from birthright through to the movement out of Senegal and his settlement in France.

Although we do not know her occupation, her hard work and unrelenting efforts are part of what made Cisse have a dream come true.

About Aliou Cisse’s Siblings:

According to research, a brother always lends an empathetic ear and supports a sister when she goes through troublesome times!

Evidence suggests healthy relations with siblings promote empathy, pro-social behaviour, and academic achievement. Healthy sibling relations can be an extraordinary source of support.

As mentioned, whether Aliou Cisse has a brother or a sister is closed. The French-speaking talent keeps discreet about the members of his household. Besides, it seems a few of them got involved in the tragic event that happened to him earlier.

Relatives:

The Senegalese football coach and former player Aliou Cisse did not emerge from the skies. He should have relatives.

Like all men, we have relations with our father’s side, known as paternal relations. And then we also have connections to our mother’s side, which we call maternal relatives.

So far, even as much as Aliou Cisse has parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, nephews, cousins, and probably even in-laws, we know little about them or their achievements in life.

2002 Charity Match:

As mentioned earlier, Aliou Cissé tragically lost several family members in the MV Le Joola ferry disaster off the coast of The Gambia in 2002. To honour the lives lost, Cissé participated in a charity match between Senegal and Nigeria, raising funds for the families of over 1,000 victims.

One of his former clubs, Birmingham City, also paid tribute by raising money for the victims’ families and unveiling a giant Senegal flag during a match against Manchester City, recognizing Cissé’s loss and his connection to the tragedy.

Aliou Cisse Family Origin:

As we have mentioned earlier, the sensational former midfielder and defender was born to a Senegalese parent in the principal town of the Casamance area of Senegal, stretching at the mouth of the Casamance River in West Africa, in Ziguinchor.

But then, together with his family, they moved to Paris, France. Aliou Cisse moved to Paris with his family when he was nine.

In addition, his surname gives us another clue as to his roots. Besides, his surname, Cisse, is from the name of the Cissé clan of the Soninke people, the ruling family of the former Ghanaian Empire, derived from the word si ‘horse’ and interpreted as ‘rider’.

So far, we can deduce that the talented player is of dual nationality. He is both Senegalese and French. Following next is a photographic representation of Aliou Cisse’s family roots.

Ethnicity:

Concerning his cultural identity, Aliou Cisse gladly identifies with the people of the Republic of Senegal, a country in West Africa.

The country, Mauritania, borders Senegal in the north and Mali to the east. Although the young chap is of black ethnicity, he speaks the English language fluently, and he also speaks French.

Research has it that his ethnic identification is recognized for his work in agriculture or other food industries. Its other major industries include mining, tourism, and services.

Aliou Cisse Education:

Yes, it is a challenging route for one to combine professional football with schooling. But then, as a West African, it is mandated for a child to attend elementary education. After this, he continued in France for his secondary schooling.

Furthermore, after deciding to pursue a career in football full-time, Aliou Cisse attended a sports academy, the Lille Olympique Sporting Club, based in France. The Academy develops athletes whilst also providing them with education.

Career Buildup:

The Senegalese football manager, however, began his career at Lille as a teenager before joining the oil-money PSG. He also spent most of the 2001 to 2002 season on loan at Montpellier Herault SC.

He played 43 matches for the French club from 1998 to 2002. Afterwards, he went to the Premier League, where he featured for Birmingham City and Portsmouth.

During his playing time for Senegal, he was the team’s captain, leading his country to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals. His display at the 2002 WORLD CUP Quarter Final against Turkey was splendid.

Impressive performances for his country led to a transfer to an English club in Birmingham City for the 2002–03 season. Cissé debuted at Arsenal on the season’s opening day but got sent off.

Though the sending-off got cancelled, he picked up five yellow cards in six games and then picked up ten yellow cards prior to the New Year. Despite this poor discipline, Cissé was impressive for his club until an injury in February ruled him out for the remaining season.

Untold Football Story:

Later in 2006, Cissé returned to Sedan FC in France before ending his career at Ligue 2’s Nîmes in 2009. After ending his playing career, Cissé enrolled in coaching classes and later became the assistant to Senegal Olympic team manager Karim Séga Diouf.

He was assistant coach of the under-23 side from 2012 – 2013, becoming head coach from 2013 to 2015. Shortly, Cissé became appointed the Taranga Lions manager, replacing Frenchman Alain Giress after they exited that year’s CAN at the group stage level.

His appointment was termed as the Senegal fans’ choice, as they wanted a local to manage their team. Confidently recreating the spirit of 2002, Senegal took the first African win at the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

Guided by their coach, Aliou Cissé, who is the only black trainer at this year’s World Cup. Senegal recorded the first African win at the FIFA World Cup in 2018, where Russia beat the highly fancied Polish side 2-1 in Moscow.

The remarkable success evoked great memories of their 2002 World Cup campaign, in which they defeated France in their opening game.

Aliou Cisse Biography – Success Story:

His playing and coaching style resembles that of Didier Deschamps–the France manager. The Senegalese manager often uses a 4-2-3-1 formation, which has been key to Senegal’s success.

As the team manager, Cissé has achieved 40 wins, 14 draws, and eight losses in 62 matches. During his tenure, Senegal climbed up the FIFA rankings, becoming the highest-ranked African side at 20th place.

Cissé tutored Senegal at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, promoting Senegal to its first-ever final since 2002, a match in which Cissé also took part when he was the team’s captain.

However, his Senegal was defeated 1–0 in the finals by Algeria after losing by the same score at the group stage and then missed out on its first-ever African trophy.

In 2019, Senegal’s Football Federation (FSF) stretched Cissé and his staff’s contracts until August 2021.

In 2022, Cissé led Senegal (with players like Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye, etc) to triumph at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

In the final, they crushed Egypt 4-2 on penalties to clinch their first title, thus redeeming himself after two previous final defeats. His next goal is to lead his team to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Personality:

Going away from his professional career as a footballer, Aliou Cisse enjoys watching movies as one of his other hobbies. Nonetheless, we can’t rule out the passion for his first love sport, which is football, among other sports like swimming.

Aliou Cissé is considered one of the best from a new generation of African coaches. He has transformed Senegal’s national team, bringing a fresh sense of identity and patriotism to the country. Through his leadership, Cissé has redefined the team’s approach, inspiring a deep pride in their national footballing achievements.

The 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) m tall football player maintains a weight of 74 kg (164 lbs). As such, keep a workout and nutritional routine to keep fit and healthy.

The Midfielder and defender player also enjoys watching online and onsite football matches. He loves to watch the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.

Like most football players in the offseason, Cisse also goes on vacations with teammates and close friends, especially with his wife and kids. He tries to keep up with his growing fans via social media. His Instagram account @alioucisse.off has over 22.3K followers.

Lifestyle:

As a star footballer, he can afford to have a lavish lifestyle, and he can gain whatever luxury he deems fit.

However, the celebrated football coach spends a little more on Villas, cars, and luxury goods. He has a juicy car collection and prefers his pair of wheels to be sporty.

His salary and net worth afford him the amassing of the good things of life and its services. He lives in Senegal and feels the country’s pressure daily, unlike his players or the foreign coaches who live abroad.

Untold Facts:

What’s more? Below are a few profound additional facts about the experienced first Senegal Captain to make the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2002. Things you probably didn’t know about Aliou Cisse.

Aliou Cissé helps to raise African coaching standards:

FIFA has emphasized that its education programs are a key part of improving football standards globally. In 2022, FIFA’s latest Coach Educators’ Development Programme was held in Senegal, with the national team’s head coach, Aliou Cissé, playing a pivotal role in helping elevate African coaching standards.

The program covered various modules, including sessions on theory, practice, and reflection. The four-day event took place in Saly, Dakar, in collaboration with the Senegal Football Federation. Prominent figures in African football also attended, including Mali’s head coach Mohamed Magassouba, Burkina Faso’s Kamou Malo, Equatorial Guinea’s Rodolfo Bodipo, Kaba Diawara, and Djamel Belmadi, among others.

Grassroots coaches with a C license were mainly targeted. Listen to what the talented coach says about the event in the clips.

Aliou has always been an advocate for African players playing. Senegal coach Cisse says international football – and the AFCON in particular – should never participate as second fiddle to club commitments. He has ‘challenged’ Napoli to refuse to buy African players.

The Senegal trainer’s comments came after Napoli owner, and president Aurelio de Laurentiis said that the Italian club would shun signing any more African football players unless they admitted not to play in the biennial tournament. See the clip here.

Aliou Cisse Religion:

According to records, about 95% of the Senegalese population is Muslim, and they practice many denominations of this faith. Approximately 1% of the Muslim population practices Ahmadiyya.

Furthermore, Most Muslims are Sunni. So, they belong to one of several Sufi brotherhoods, each of which incorporates unique practices. Besides, his first name suggests an Arabic origin as well. So imperatively like most Senegalese natives, the star coach and former midfielder are Islam. He is most likely a Sunni, too.

Cisse reacted angrily to Jurgen Klopp’s AFCON statement:

He was displeased with Jurgen Klopp’s AFCON statement. Klopp described the competition in November 2021 as a “little tournament.” Cisse reacted angrily to Klopp’s remarks, asking what he (Klopp) thinks of himself.

He is the manager of Senegal, and several of his players play for Klopp at Liverpool. Aliou also said he respects Liverpool but not Klopp, who undermines African Football tournaments.

He also said that Klopp is in this position because of African footballers and that he had been losing every final until players like Salah, Mane, and Matip came to his rescue and helped him win his first-ever big European Final. Klopp then apologized for his remark.

EndNote:

Our Aliou Cisse Childhood Story Plus Untold Biography Facts wraps off. However, before we call it to quit, just a recap.

Aliou Cissé, born on the 24th of March 1976, is a Senegalese football trainer and a former football player who is also the manager of the Senegal national team.

Aliou Cissé is best known for being the initial Senegal captain to make the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations final and then the first coach from Senegal to win the tournament in 2022 after making it to the final in 2019.

Having started his career in France, he later participated in English clubs Birmingham City and Portsmouth. Cissé was a defensive midfielder who also occasionally played as a centre-back.

As a player, Aliou Cissé wasn’t content with just completing training exercises—he always wanted to understand the purpose behind them. This curiosity stayed with him throughout his playing career, which spanned both France and England. It was this inquisitive mindset that shaped Aliou Cissé into the leader he became, guiding Senegal’s national team as captain during their historic qualification for the FIFA World Cup in 2002

Senegal reached their first African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final the same year. “I needed to know why I had to run so much to play football,” Cisse said. It was no surprise that Cisse turned to coach after ending his playing career.

Having led the Senegal under-23 side from 2013 to 2015, he got promoted to the senior team, where he has stayed ever since – a remarkably long coaching tenure which ended in October 2024.

Appreciation Note:

Thank you for reading this intriguing article about Aliou Cisse’s life journey. We care about accuracy and fairness in our quest to deliver you the Stories of Football Managers.

Hopefully, Aliou Cisse’s Bio has made you believe patience and persistence can overcome anything. Kindly stay tuned for more stories of Senegalese Footballers (active or retired).

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