Senegal's troubled post-World Cup reckoning has taken an unexpected turn after the federation's president publicly questioned whether the squad's doctor held the appropriate qualifications for the role. At a press conference on Monday, Abdoulaye Fall claimed that Abderahmane Fediore, who has served as Senegal's team doctor since 2017, was trained as a gynaecologist rather than in sports medicine, and that players had lost confidence in him during the tournament as a result.
Fall said the federation became aware of the issue during the World Cup itself and moved to bring in additional medical expertise to settle the squad's concerns. "Our main doctor did not have the academic profile required to accompany our athletes," he said, adding that he had only discovered Fediore's background late. "Health comes before everything," he added by way of explanation for sourcing supplementary support.
The Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine has rejected the claims outright, describing them as unfounded and defamatory. In a statement issued on Monday evening, the body said Fediore holds a specialist diploma in sports medicine and sports biology from Cheikh Anta Diop University's faculty of medicine. He previously led the physiotherapy department at Fann Hospital and has worked alongside the national team across three World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments — a record of service that spans Senegal's 2021 AFCON title and runs of consecutive finals appearances.
The row adds a fractious postscript to what was already a deeply disappointing summer for Senegal. After defeating Morocco in January's AFCON final, the Lions of Teranga entered the World Cup with genuine ambitions. They lost their opening two Group I fixtures to France and Norway before a victory over Iran edged them through as one of the best third-placed sides. Their tournament then ended in the last 32 against Belgium, where a two-goal lead with fewer than five minutes of normal time remaining dissolved into a 3-2 extra-time defeat. Head coach Pape Thiaw, who had been in the role since late 2024, was dismissed on Saturday alongside his entire technical staff following a federation review of the team's results and prospects.
With the managerial position now vacant and a public dispute over the medical staff's credentials unresolved, the FSF faces a complicated rebuild. The Association of Sports Medicine's counter-statement suggests the row over Fediore is unlikely to be settled quietly, and the federation will need to move swiftly to restore coherence to a programme that, only months ago, appeared to be in good health.