Written by: Badr Ahmed
The Senegalese Football Federation denied reports linking the national team's delayed departure to the United States to contractual disputes with coach Pape Thiaw, asserting that the delay was due to logistical issues related to flight procedures and travel visas.
Senegal explains the reasons for the delay in its national team's trip to the United States.
The Senegalese national team experienced a delay of about eight hours before leaving the capital, Dakar, on Wednesday evening. The plane finally took off at 11:00 PM local time, heading to the United States, as part of the final preparations before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
The Senegalese Football Federation, in an official statement, clarified that it seeks to correct what it described as misleading information circulating in some media outlets, categorically denying that coach Pape Thiaw had refused to accompany the national team. However, it acknowledged that negotiations are ongoing regarding the renewal of the coach's contract, which expires in February 2026.
Despite the official denial, Senegalese media sources reported that Thiaw initially expressed reservations about accompanying the national team before receiving guarantees regarding his contractual status, especially since he had continued working for more than three months without a new official contract or a fixed salary.
These developments come amid a tense atmosphere surrounding the Senegalese national team following the controversy surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco. In the final minutes of the match, coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players to leave the pitch in protest against refereeing decisions, before the team returned to complete the game after the intervention of star player Sadio Mane.
Despite Senegal winning the match at the time, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later decided to consider the team withdrawn and award the title to Morocco, while suspending Thiaw for five matches and fining him $100,000, while the case is still pending before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). .
During their US training camp, the Lions of Teranga will play a friendly match against the United States national team in Charlotte, before beginning their journey in the 2026 World Cup in Group I, which includes France, Norway, and Iraq, amid hopes of overcoming administrative crises and focusing on global competition.
