Senegal Football Boss Says Coach's Pay Demands Hurt World Cup Hopes

The president of Senegal's football federation said on Monday that the team faced problems at the World Cup after coach Pape Thiaw asked for a pay raise.

Thiaw was fired on Sunday after his team lost to Belgium in the last 32 on July 1.

“There was a breakdown in trust between Pape Thiaw and us,” FSF president Abdoulaye Fall said at a press conference in Dakar. He pointed to the failure to agree on a new contract after Thiaw's request for more money.

Thiaw, who is 45 and a former Senegal player, became the national team coach in 2024.

Before the World Cup, he had asked for a salary increase from 20 million CFA, which is about 87,000 naira.

In the end, they agreed on 30,000 CFA during the World Cup. They also settled other issues like bonuses.

At one point, Thiaw even threatened not to go to the World Cup if his demands were not met. Fall explained that Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye convinced him to change his mind on the day the team was set to leave for the United States.

Fall also said the contract was signed just before their second game in the tournament, which was against Norway. Thiaw refused to sit on the bench unless it was finalized.

Fall mentioned that Thiaw felt the “federation officials were his enemies, and this impacted the national team’s operations.”

During the World Cup, the Lions of Teranga lost two games in the group stage, one to France and another to Norway. They did secure a 5, 0 win over Iraq, which helped them reach the knockout rounds.

Under Thiaw, Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations final in January. However, they lost their title as punishment for walking off the pitch during a chaotic final against Morocco.