L’union sacrée autour des Lions n'impose pas le silence complice
For some time now, the Lions' camp has been rocked in the United States by reports concerning the players' living conditions, the bonuses owed to them, and the contract of coach Pape Thiaw. Faced with this situation, some Senegalese believe it is necessary to put this controversy aside and unite behind the team in order to win the match against Norway and maintain their chances of qualifying for the second round.
Of course, it's important, even essential, to rally around the Lions and give them all the support they need to go as far as possible in this competition. After the defeat against France, the team needs the support of the nation more than ever to spur them on to victory.
However, this patriotic imperative cannot overshadow the duty to truth. To participate in this competition, all of Senegal mobilized, and individuals were entrusted with the responsibility of carrying out this mission. These are primarily members of the Senegalese Football Federation. This body has a mission just like the Lions themselves.
However, within the team, despite the united front, players who have a bad game are criticized, sometimes attacked vehemently, and benched if necessary. The entire team has been the target of harsh criticism on several occasions. Why then should the members of the Federation be exempt from this requirement? United front is not an ostrich policy, nor is it hypocrisy. On the contrary, it demands responsibility, transparency, rigor, and accountability from the Federation in the management of its delegated authority.
The truth here is that the Federation has been incredibly negligent in its management of this competition. The latest example of this chaotic management is the recruitment, just two days ago, of Cheikhou Kouyaté and video analyst Abdoulaye Seck. How can a team that aspires to be competitive afford to forget to hire a video analyst and only remember it mid-tournament? If Cheikhou Kouyaté was so crucial, why wasn't he brought in well before the World Cup began? All of this confirms the amateurishness and haphazard approach within this Senegalese delegation.
It is all the more important to denounce these failings because they had gone unnoticed within the team in recent years. During the last few campaigns, a healthy atmosphere prevailed within the group because the necessary steps were taken, and victories followed. We thought we were finally done with the stories of unpaid bonuses, accommodation issues, and other such problems. And now, all this amateurism is back with the World Cup: bonuses, food, the coach's contract, last-minute recruitment, families of players with regional contracts… The picture is complete for a campaign.
And this isn't limited to the Federation. Senegal almost withdrew from the African Youth Games in Angola in December 2025, despite hosting the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2026. The question remains: how can a country hosting such a major event as the YOG afford not to send its athletes to prepare in other competitions, unless the only challenge is the organization itself, as is the case in many African countries? Ultimately, a controversy erupted before the athletes left Dakar on December 9th, even though the competition was scheduled to begin the following day, December 10th.
Even today, a few months before the Youth Olympic Games, it is difficult to identify the sports infrastructure already ready, apart from the Léopold Sédar Senghor stadium.
All of this shows that there are certain shortcomings in the management of our sports. Unfortunately, as long as football (seniors and juniors) performs well, everything else is forgotten. We always wait for the Lions to underperform before bringing the scandals to light. The problem is: the damage is already done.
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