The crisis within Senegalese football reignited, as the camp of former national team coach Pape Thiaw issued its first public response to the statements of the President of the Senegalese Football Federation, Abdoulaye Fall, who addressed the background of the dispute with the coach, in addition to denying the allegations that accompanied the participation of the "Lions of Teranga" in the 2026 World Cup.

According to the Senegalese website senenews, just minutes after the press conference, Cherif Fall, one of Pape Thiaw's closest associates, published a message via the "status" feature on WhatsApp, carrying a harsh tone, stating: "Pathetic, when you are not well-versed in matters, you truly are not well-versed. Prepare your responses for public opinion, the time has come," accompanied by sarcastic emojis.

Although Cherif Fall did not mention the federation president by name, the Senegalese website considered his message a direct response to Abdoulaye Fall's press conference, especially since it came minutes after it ended, and interpreted it as a prelude for the Pape Thiaw camp to respond to the accusations leveled against him.

The Senegalese federation president had held a lengthy press conference during which he addressed the issues that arose after the team's elimination from the 2026 World Cup, foremost among them rumors of organizational scandals within the "Lions of Teranga" delegation, including allegations of sexual harassment, excessive spending, and resale of match tickets—accusations he denied, stating there was no official evidence to support them, and affirming that the federation had received no formal complaint or report from the U.S. police, considering the matter "closed."

Abdoulaye Fall also revealed details of the dispute with Pape Thiaw during contract renewal negotiations, explaining that the coach demanded his salary be linked to the inflation rate, an increase in win bonuses, exceptional bonuses, and refused to include contractual targets related to the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, which led to the breakdown of negotiations.

The federation president added that Thiaw refused to lead the team before signing his new contract, forcing him to sign the contract before the second group stage match against Norway, stressing that "the interest of the team was above all else."

The matter did not stop at contractual aspects, as Fall revealed tension over technical decisions, stating that he did not know the starting lineup until arriving at the stadium, deeming this approach "unacceptable."

The Senegalese federation had earlier announced the termination of the contract with Pape Thiaw and his entire coaching staff, following the team's elimination from the Round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup with a 3-2 loss to Belgium after extra time, plunging Senegalese football into a spiral of controversy and mutual accusations that seems likely to escalate in the coming days.