Senegal rocked by doctor scandal after World Cup exit

The post-World Cup crisis in Senegalese football has taken an unexpected turn. Senegal Football Federation (FSF) president Abdoulaye Fall made a striking claim during Monday's press conference reviewing the tournament: he said Abderahmane Fédior, who has served as the national team's chief doctor since 2017, was in fact trained as a gynaecologist, a fact he discovered "late," and that players consequently lacked full confidence in him. "Based on the feedback I received, the players weren't sufficiently reassured about being supported by him; since health comes before everything, we had to find convincing expertise," Fall said, revealing that the federation added an additional sports physician to the medical staff during the tournament.

The claim, however, did not go unanswered. The Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine (ASMS) responded firmly the same day, describing the statement as "unfounded and defamatory." The association announced that Dr Fédior holds a specialist diploma in sports medicine and biology from Cheikh Anta Diop University, has accompanied the national team through three World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments since 2017, previously headed the physiotherapy department at Fann Hospital, and has served for years as a medical officer for FIFA and CAF, coordinating international matches; it demanded a public apology.

The doctor's own voice also entered the dispute. Saying he was "outraged" by the allegations, Fédior maintained he obtained his sports medicine diploma in 2008 and, while his first specialty was gynaecology, argued he had steered his career toward sports medicine early on; he also raised the possibility of filing a defamation suit against Fall.

The timing of the scandal is telling. The crisis erupted immediately after Senegal's Round of 32 elimination, a 3-2 defeat to Belgium, and the dismissal of head coach Pape Thiaw. The federation's administrative crisis is not limited to this either: bonuses owed to players following their AFCON 2025 title and World Cup qualifying success have reportedly gone unpaid for months.

Source: Reuters
Image: BBC Sport