REUTERS/Albert Gea
Senegal's Pathe Ciss looks dejected after the match as Senegal are eliminated from the World Cup
Senegal had to do some soul-searching after seeing its time at the World Cup come to an end after imploding against Belgium. The team didn’t waste any time firing its head coach, and it will also be looking for a new physician after allegedly discovering the one who’d been on staff for close to a decade was trained as a gynecologist.
Senegal didn’t head into the World Cup as the favorite to win it all, but it was still expected to hold its own as the 15th-ranked team in FIFA’s standings. However, things did not really go as planned for the Teranga Lions.
The team was able to make it out of the group stage, but it did not really impress after kicking things off with losses to France and Norway before advancing with a victory in a must-win game against Iraq. It appeared they were going to vanquish Belgium from the tournament with a 2-0 lead in the 86th minute of their showdown to kick off the knockout round, but they surrendered two quick goals before losing on a penalty kick at the end of extra time.
It was one of the more thrilling World Cup games in recent memory and one that forced the losing side to make some changes after getting sent home, including one stemming from a dispute with a team doctor who may not have been the best fit for the role.
Senegal claims the physician who worked for the team since 2017 was an OB/GYN
Senegal had to deal with a fair amount of off-the-field drama during the World Cup, which included a contract dispute involving head coach Pape Thiaw, players who claimed they didn’t receive bonuses they were owed, and complaints over catering and hotel accommodations.
Thaiw, who was hired in 2024, was let go in the wake of the loss to Belgium (a defeat where he was roundly criticized over some questionable substitutions that opened the door for the comeback). He’s not the only person who will be out of a job after the World Cup, as there is also some controversy surrounding the man who served as the team physician.
According to Reuters, Abderahmane Fediore stepped into that role in 2017, and this year marked the third time he was on the sidelines for Senegal at the World Cup.
However, it will seemingly be his last. Abdoulaye Fall, who serves as the president of the Senegalese Football Federation, says Fediore has been let go after an investigation that revealed he was “trained as a gynecologist,” which is not a field that really comes in handy when you’re working with the men’s national team.
Fall noted “players were not sufficiently reassured about being supported by him” after soliciting feedback during the World Cup and asserted Fediore lacked the qualifications for the job to the point where additional medical staff were brought on to make up for his shortcomings and assuage concerns.
It is obviously worth noting the Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine came to his defense while saying Fall’s claim is “unfounded and defamatory,” adding he holds a “specialist diploma in sports medicine and sports biology from Cheikh Anta Diop University” and previously led the physiotherapy department at Fann Hospital.
Even if that is the case, it nonetheless looks like Fediore’s time with the team has come to an end.