As the most successful president in Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) history, Augustin Senghor was looking forward to overseeing the Lions of Teranga’s World Cup campaign, after doing the same for those in Russia and Qatar. But the 60-year-old lawyer, who doubles as the mayor of Gorée island – the point from where large numbers of Africans were shipped to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade – surprisingly lost his job in last August’s FSF elections.
“After losing the election I decided to stay quiet and not talk too much about football, to allow the new administration to take charge, with my cooperation and full support,” Senghor told the Guardian. His achievements and the largely professional manner in which the FSF was led during his presidency have become a talking point in Senegal as the comedy of errors in governance by the new FSF administration, led by Abdoulaye Fall, comes to light.
Pape Thiaw, the head coach of Senegal, had been without an employment contract since February and was also owed five months of unpaid wages, which led him to refuse to travel to the United States for the World Cup until Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Senegal’s president, intervened. “When this situation happened, Pape called me to discuss it,” said Senghor. “I told him that he had to focus on the assignment for our nation and not be distracted. Seeing our nation do well is what is more important.
“Many in the country have been asking why there are so many problems with the management of the team, as they say that this was unheard of during my time. I have chosen to stay silent until the first anniversary of my departure as FSF president. That is when I will speak my mind.”
Just before Senegal’s 3-2 loss to Norway on Monday, Thiaw announced his contractual and salary issues had been resolved. Sources within Senegalese football reported a $100,000-per-month salary demand as the sticking point that led to the months-long negotiation gridlock with the national government, which pays the wages. Unable to hide his impatience with those protracted talks, Thiaw was emphatic that his financial demands were never the problem. “It was not never a money issue but a principles and respect issue,” he said. This all came after the fallout from January’s extraordinary Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat.
Senegal are now facing the uphill task of earning a last-32 berth at the World Cup, following losses to France and Norway – the first time the Lions have lost two consecutive matches at a finals since their impressive 2002 debut. Thiaw is facing sharp criticism from home and the Senegalese media, about his player selection and game management before Friday’s final group game against Iraq.
Kalidou Koulibaly is clearly suffering from an unusual lack of fitness, having not played competitively since early April, after sustaining a muscle injury during a training session with Saudi club Al-Hilal. Koulibaly did not hesitate to admit after the loss to Norway that he had failed to meet his exacting playing standards, which earned the towering centre-back rave reviews during his time at Napoli. “Every ball I touched went wrong” said Koulibaly. “I made a lot of mistakes [and] that’s really unfortunate, because losing a match in this way is a real shame, especially at the World Cup.
“We know the level here is very high, and you can’t afford mistakes – we made too many to be able to win the match. It happened to me, tomorrow it could happen to someone else. I just hope I can continue helping the team. We have to win.”
There is also confusion and frustration over Thiaw’s reluctance to use the exciting young talent in his squad. Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr, for instance, should have stood in for Koulibaly against Norway. Not playing the 23-year-old against Iraq would be foolhardy.
Sadio Mané, Senegal’s talisman for so long, has also been inconsequential at this World Cup, which will be his last. Thiaw needs the 34-year-old to rediscover his attacking verve against Iraq and goes into that game acutely aware of one unvarnished fact: should Senegal fail to win in Toronto by a significant margin, his period in charge of the national team could well come to an unplanned halt, after only 18 fraught months in charge.