Abdoulaye Fall, president of the Senegalese football federation (FSF), claimed on Monday that internal discord plagued the squad during the World Cup, primarily triggered by manager Pape Thiaw requesting a significant salary increase. Thiaw was dismissed on Sunday following the team’s round-of-32 exit against Belgium on July 1.
Fall explained that the partnership dissolved due to a loss of mutual confidence, stemming from a prolonged contract negotiation. Thiaw, who became head coach in 2024, had sought to raise his monthly compensation from 20 million CFA to 50 million CFA before the tournament. While the parties eventually settled on 30 million CFA along with bonus adjustments, the process was fraught with tension.
The FSF president revealed that Thiaw threatened to skip the trip to the United States until intervention from Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye persuaded him otherwise. Additionally, Thiaw reportedly refused to coach during the match against Norway until the final paperwork was signed. Fall noted that the coach’s perception of federation officials as adversaries hindered team operations. Senegal’s tournament run saw group stage losses to France and Norway, followed by a win over Iraq before their eventual elimination.
