48 hours before its round of 16 against Sudan, Senegal calls for sacred union. A sharp press release was published this Thursday by the Senegalese football federation, which denies “allegations of conflicts” with coach Pape Thiaw, “whose aim is to destabilize the team”.
Unite: the message is clear for the Senegalese football federation (FSF). In the sights of the press for several weeks for supposed sabotage actions against its coach Pape Thiaw, the FSF is trying to reassure. In a press release published Thursday, January 1, 2026 in the evening, 48 hours before its round of 16 of CAN against Sudan, the Teranga Lions Federation issues a “formal denial” and “a call for unity” on its social networks.
“The Federation wishes to vigorously denounce these unfounded allegations, the sole aim of which seems to be to destabilize the positive dynamic of our national team in full competition,” criticizes the FSF.
Pape Thiaw’s controversial list at the center of rumors
“The Senegalese Football Federation has noted with regret the persistence of certain rumors and information distilled by part of the press tending to make people believe in the existence of a conflict situation or latent tensions between the federal body and the national coach,” the press release begins.
A reference to the allegations of clash relayed by certain press organs on the continent. Since the announcement of the list by Pape Thiaw for this CAN 2025, a dispute has reportedly been detected with the federation concerning the supposed desire, in particular, of the coach to take 27 players to Morocco instead of 24, as the FSF would have ordered. And this while CAF would only financially support 23 players from each selection. Leaving the Federations to fully support the additional players. A cost that would be significant.
“A member of the federation” behind leaks around team compositions
Also in the press’ sights are certain internal dysfunctions since Pape Thiaw has been in charge, notably this recurrence of leaks around the composition of his team.
A dissemination of confidential information of which “a member of the federation” would be guilty, indicates the online media Seneweb, which specifies that the latter would be “the administrator of the site at the origin of the leak”.
“We are going to secure and bunkerize the national team. It is for the good of the players. The Ministry of Sports and the FSF have made arrangements,” Pape Thiaw also tried to reassure when announcing his list.
Cases of leaks which shook the den of the Lions of Teranga, four hours before their last match against Benin or even seven hours before the start of the competition against Botswana. Two days before the opening of the direct elimination phase of the CAN, Senegal is doing everything to bring a little serenity to its group.
