The President of the Senegalese Football Federation, Abdoulaye Fall, has claimed that a breakdown in trust between the federation and former head coach Pape Thiaw, sparked by a salary dispute, contributed to the country’s disappointing campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Fall made the disclosure on Monday, a day after Thiaw was dismissed following Senegal’s elimination by Belgium in the Round of 32 on July 1.
Speaking at a press conference in Dakar, Fall said tensions between the coach and federation officials created a toxic atmosphere within the national team during the tournament.
“There was a breakdown in trust between Pape Thiaw and us,” Fall said, adding that negotiations over a new contract became difficult after the coach demanded a significant salary increase.
According to the federation president, Thiaw, who took charge of the national team in 2024, requested an increase from his monthly salary of 20 million CFA francs before the team departed for the World Cup.
Although both parties eventually reached an agreement on a revised contract and resolved issues relating to bonuses during the tournament, Fall said the prolonged dispute negatively affected preparations.
He alleged that Thiaw initially threatened not to travel with the team to the tournament until his demands were met, claiming Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye intervened on the day the squad was due to leave for the United States.
Fall further revealed that the coach refused to take his place on the bench for Senegal’s second group-stage match against Norway until his contract was signed.
According to him, Thiaw believed federation officials were working against him, a situation he said disrupted the team’s operations throughout the competition.
Senegal lost two of their three group-stage matches against France and Norway before defeating Iraq 5-0 to secure a place in the knockout stage, where they were eliminated by Belgium.
Thiaw guided Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations title in January. However, the team was later stripped of the championship after walking off the pitch during the chaotic final against Morocco.
Source: AFP.
