Senegal: Pape Thiaw’s contract, gala evenings and ticket trafficking... behind the scenes of a global fiasco

45 accomplished minutes, a flood of congratulations received from the world of football and those close to the team for content considered solid despite the final result and the feeling that beating Norway would be a formality, or at least within the team's reach. It was with this state of mind that the Lions of Senegal came out of their defeat against France (1-3) for their entry into this 2026 World Cup.

Convinced they could overcome the Scandinavian hurdle by producing two complete halves, they were far from imagining the slap awaiting them... with a new defeat (2-3) that nearly jeopardized their chances of qualifying for the round of 16.

Thiaw without contract and under pressure from the federation

On the pitch, an unrecognizable Senegalese team appeared, although Pape Thiaw had fielded the same starting eleven as against Les Bleus. But his players were quickly overwhelmed by Norwegians who could have widened the score if not for an Edouard Mendy who kept his side in the game for a long time, before giving in.

At the final whistle, all eyes turned to Thiaw. At the center of criticism were his tactical decisions, and above all, his choices of players, notably the handling of the Kalidou Koulibaly case, who was involved in all three goals conceded. Also his substitutions. A reading of events far, very far, from that of a coach who was praised for his clear-headedness during the AFCON.

Except that between AFCON and the World Cup, his situation has been seriously weakened. Without a contract since February 2026 and with five months of salary arrears, the matter was only handled urgently after the revelations of Sport News Africa about his situation. At least in appearance, because when on the eve of the match against Norway, he said in a press conference that “everything is back to normal”, that wasn’t yet the case.

According to information from Sport News Africa, it was only a few hours before the kick-off of the match against the Norwegians that Thiaw was finally able to sign his contract. The last maneuver attempted by the management of the Senegalese Football Federation and its general secretary, Abdoulaye Sow, to play for time and wait for the outcome of the match against Norway to make a decision on his fate.

Senegal without a coach 6 hours before Norway

Facing the lack of a contract signature, the coach’s representatives raised their voices, even threatening that their client would not be on the bench for this crucial match, leaving the FSF to its responsibilities and to explain to Senegalese people that they had not signed the new deal, contrary to what had been announced.

“He was a coach packing his suitcases six hours before a match,” confides a source present on site. “Can you imagine preparing a match under these conditions? There wasn’t a healthy environment for working with such defiance from his executives.”

Finally, under pressure, and after yet another imbroglio caused by a clause discreetly added by the federation, the contract was signed urgently, five hours before kickoff, in the presence of the general secretary, representatives, and the advisor to the President of the Republic.

The shadow of Hervé Renard

A situation reminiscent of the tensions before departing for preparations in the United States. For lack of a contract and still owed backpay, Thiaw had insisted on being regularized before flying to the World Cup and his representatives had already threatened not to board with the team. To which FSF officials had replied that if Thiaw didn’t travel with the team, they would go to the USA with the national technical director and immediately get in touch with Hervé Renard, a name not thrown out by chance.

Because while the French coach then took over Tunisia after the dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi in the middle of the World Cup, Sport News Africa learned that he had already been in contact with Senegal and even the Tunisian officials confirmed that he would leave after his mission with the Eagles of Carthage... with Senegal among his possible destinations.

Supported by players sympathetic to his situation, especially the senior ones, Thiaw and his representatives considered holding a press conference in Dakar to explain to Senegalese what was happening behind closed doors. But it took an intervention at the highest level and a call from the head of state, who reassured him he was taking charge of the matter, for him to board with the team.

Following the first revelations made by Sport News Africa after the match against France, notably regarding the players' diet, the coach’s contract, and the lifestyle of some FSF members in the USA, the office of the President of the Republic then expressed its displeasure, urging the President’s advisor to rectify things to try to restore order and provide a more favorable framework for proper team preparation. The problem was, the damage was already done. Especially since internally within the FSF, divisions abounded.

Luxurious lifestyle and managers’ parties

In open conflict for months, to the point where several meetings ended with insults among its members, the FSF Executive Committee had been forced to unite after the AFCON final and the ensuing legal affairs. A truce of short duration, as they fell out again over the bonuses.

In this poisonous atmosphere, where President Abdoulaye Fall never succeeded in asserting himself, the World Cup was an opportunity to strengthen ties—or so it seemed. In reality, everyone pursued their own privileges, like one of the vice-presidents who invited various content creators, notably young women, whose presence among the coaches surprised everyone.

Busy running the federation and in open conflict with Thiaw, the general secretary Abdoulaye Sow, the real daily boss of the FSF, was not necessarily paying attention to the everyday life of the managers, where gigantic expense reports piled up in a bloated delegation in which family members and close friends were invited without anyone really knowing who paid. “I have a pretty good idea who picks up the bill,” an official cuts in. “The State paid out a large sum for the World Cup, so some are taking advantage.”

Bottles of vintage alcohol, gifts, parties in good company—the delegation’s first days in the United States looked like a giant celebration in front of astonished players. Surprised by the arrogance of several officials, the hotel staff even complained, while some players, left to themselves at times, took advantage to order fast food and sneak out.

Mystery around ticket resales

Alerted by the behavior of the FSF, the office of the President of the Republic made it clear that the party was over, knowing that it had already dispatched an emissary—much to the federation’s annoyance. This did not prevent massive resale of tickets allocated by FIFA to the FSF.

Like other federations, a murky circuit saw tickets bought for 60 dollars resold for around 350 dollars without any certainty whether the money went to the FSF coffers or to the pockets of relatives of the managers. Several people confirmed to Sport News Africa this opaque scheme without really knowing who was the mastermind, but one thing was certain: ticket scalping seen at the 2022 World Cup (sometimes even involving tickets allocated directly to players’ families!) had not disappeared in 2026.

In the face of this failure on the pitch—as well as a managerial one—a report commissioned by the office of the President of the Republic is being finalized, and the FSF members as well as the coach will be questioned upon their return.

Romain MOLINA and Mansour LOUM