A fresh controversy has engulfed Senegalese football following the country’s exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Senegal Football Federation (FSF) President Abdoulaye Fall revealing that the national team’s chief medical officer was initially trained as a gynaecologist.
Fall said the late discovery of the doctor’s original medical specialty raised concerns among players about the quality of sports medicine available to the squad, prompting the federation to engage external medical consultants to restore confidence within the team.
However, the Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine has strongly rejected the claims, describing them as unfounded and defamatory.
In a statement, the association clarified that the team’s chief medical officer, Dr. Abderahmane Fediore, is a qualified specialist in sports medicine and sports biology, holding a specialist diploma from Cheikh Anta Diop University.
The association noted that Fediore has served as head of the national team’s medical department since 2017, overseeing the squad’s participation in multiple FIFA World Cups and Africa Cup of Nations tournaments without any previous concerns over his qualifications or competence.
The medical controversy comes amid a difficult period for Senegalese football, following the dismissal of head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw and his entire technical crew after the team’s disappointing World Cup campaign.
Senegal, which entered the tournament as African champions, was eliminated in the round of 32 after a dramatic 3-2 extra-time defeat to Belgium in North America.
