Abdoulaye Fall, president of the Senegal Football Federation (FSF), said concerns about the national team’s medical support came up during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He claimed that players did not have confidence in the team doctor.
At a press conference on Monday, as the federation reviewed Senegal’s disappointing campaign, Fall said some players questioned if team doctor Abderahmane Fediore had the specialist skills needed for a World Cup.
The FSF president said the issue came up during the tournament and left some players unsure about the quality of medical care they would receive.
“Based on the feedback I received, the players were not sufficiently reassured about being supported by him,” Fall said.
He said the federation responded by bringing in more medical experts to help restore the players’ confidence.
“We had to find convincing expertise so they could feel reassured because health comes before everything,” he explained.
However, the Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine strongly rejected Fall’s remarks, calling them “unfounded and defamatory.”
In a statement on Monday, the association defended Fediore’s qualifications, saying he has a diploma in sports medicine and sports biology from the Faculty of Medicine at Cheikh Anta Diop University.
The association also pointed to his experience, noting that he led the physiotherapy department at Fann Hospital and has been Senegal’s team doctor since 2017. He has worked with the national team at three FIFA World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
This medical controversy comes as Senegal continues to deal with the fallout from their disappointing World Cup campaign.
The FSF fired head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw on Saturday after the team’s early exit from the tournament.
Senegal went into the World Cup with high hopes after winning the Africa Cup of Nations in January by beating Morocco in the final. Many expected the Teranga Lions to compete for top honors, but they did not meet those expectations.
They lost their first two group matches against France and Norway. In the Round of 32, they gave up a 2-0 lead late in the game against Belgium and lost 3-2 after extra time.
Now, the federation faces more pressure to fix both technical and administrative problems as it starts planning for the next stage of Senegalese football.
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