The president of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) believes the national team doctor lacked the specialist background required to support the squad during the World Cup in North America, as the governing body reviews their disappointing tournament campaign.
Federation chief Abdoulaye Fall revealed in a press conference that the team doctor was “trained as a gynecologist.” He noted that this issue was discovered late, raising significant concerns among the players regarding the quality of medical support available to them.
“Based on the feedback I received, the players were not sufficiently reassured about being supported by him,” Fall said. “We had to find convincing medical expertise to reassure the squad, because health always comes first.”
Sports Medicine Association Rejects Claims
In response, the Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine firmly rejected these allegations, describing them in an official statement as “unfounded and defamatory.”
The association clarified key facts about the team doctor, Abderahmane Fediore:
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Qualifications: He holds a specialist diploma in sports medicine and sports biology from the Faculty of Medicine at Cheikh Anta Diop University.
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Experience: He previously headed the physiotherapy department at Fann Hospital and has served as Senegal’s national team doctor since 2017.
In a related development, the Senegalese Federation announced the dismissal of head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw, stating that the team’s disappointing World Cup results necessitated an immediate coaching change.
