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The president of the Senegalese football federation, Abdoulaye Foul, addressed his country’s fans at a press conference and addressed some controversial issues related to the governing body of Senegalese football, in addition to negotiations to renew the contract of former national team coach Pape Tiau.
The Senegalese federation had announced Tiau’s departure after a bye to the 2026 World Cup, following a fatal 3-2 loss to Belgium in the Round of 32 in another double-time extra-time match.
Senegal’s football federation is in turmoilAfter this great disappointment, many scandals appeared related to the failure of the Senegal team.
The Sport News Africa investigation highlighted, among other things, the contract signed by Pope Thiau during the World Cup, organizational breakdowns, controversial invitations within the delegation, excessive spending, allegations of ticket reselling and a sex scandal.
The Senegalese Football Federation denied these scandals in an official statement, and this outcome also led to the dismissal of Pape Tiau and his entire technical staff. They broke up last weekend.
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Senegalese football federation president Abdoulaye Foul spoke at a press conference to discuss the handling of Pape Thiau’s case and the tension that has marked the Teranga Lions’ run at the World Cup.
The President of the Senegalese Football Federation first addressed the issue of the chef accused of sexual harassment, explaining: “I was in Mexico City when the Secretary General informed me about the situation. I asked him to speak to the cook to find out what really happened. There was a complaint from a woman who might have misunderstood the situation.”
He emphasized that there is no evidence to support these accusations and, as reported by the network, he added:Miss Mercato“The most important thing is that we have not received an official complaint, we have not seen an official report from the American police, and there has been no factual evidence to support these allegations, for us this case is closed.”
When asked about the contract of the former coach of the Senegal national team, Abdoulaye Fol told the details of the negotiations between the federation, the Ministry of Sports and “Thiaw” in the last few months.
“Our relationship with Papi Thiau has been going on for a long time and we were not happy with how it ended. By the end of the year we started discussions and I asked him to send me his contract,” he explained.
He added that several points led to the negotiations quickly stalling, notably the coach’s desire to link his salary to the rate of inflation and the need to get approval from the Ministry of Sports.
Abdullah Fall then detailed discussions with Minister Khadijah Din Gaye, who demanded a raise for the former coach, saying: “He saw that the state should bear this burden, not just the federation.”
After weeks of negotiations, an agreement was finally reached on a salary of 30 million CFA francs.
The president of Senegal’s football federation confirmed that the differences were not only limited to salary, but also included bonuses, goals and other contractual clauses. “As for the winning bonus percentage, he initially offered us 1 percent, in the first document he sent, he mentioned 13 percent, then he asked for an exclusive bonus,” he explained.
He continued. “There were also points that we could not accept, especially regarding personal tax obligations. The federation cannot deal with the coach’s personal tax returns.”
He added that Pape Tio also refused to include goals related to the World Cup and the African Cup of Nations.
Abdoulaye Fall confirmed that Pape Tiau was only signed at the World Cup, ahead of the second group stage match against Norway (which ended in a 3-2 defeat for the Teranga Lions).
The President of the Senegalese Federation stated. “Before the second match against Norway, the general secretary made it clear to me that Pape will not take over the leadership of the team without a contract. So I took out his contract and signed it. The interest of the national team is above everything else.”
He also took the opportunity to reveal the tension surrounding Thiau’s tactical choices, saying: “Some told him that Al-Ittihad was his enemy. But in both matches, I only knew the starting line-up from the pitch. I knew the line-up from the field and this is unacceptable. I went to see him in his hotel room. We discussed the lineup before the game, a day or two ago.”
