Senegal Football Federation president Abdoulaye Fall stated that the national team’s doctor was trained as a gynecologist. He said the disclosure caused unease among players at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and prompted the federation to add further medical support, according to Reuters.
At a Monday press conference reviewing Senegal’s World Cup performance, Fall noted the matter surfaced late in the event and reduced players’ trust in available medical care.
“Based on the feedback I received, the players were not sufficiently reassured about being supported by him,” Fall said, per Reuters.
Fall added that measures were taken to bolster medical resources during the competition.
“We had to find convincing expertise so they could feel reassured, because health comes before everything,” he said.
The Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine quickly dismissed the statements as “unfounded and defamatory.” It affirmed that team doctor Abderahmane Fediore holds a specialist diploma in sports medicine and sports biology from Cheikh Anta Diop University.
The association noted he previously led the physiotherapy department at Fann Hospital and has served as national team doctor since 2017, attending three FIFA World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations events.
The dispute follows the federation’s recent dismissal of head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw after Senegal’s World Cup results. Under Thiaw the team had qualified unbeaten and won the Africa Cup of Nations, yet exited the World Cup in the Round of 32 after mixed group-stage results.
