(Pape Thiaw. Photo Credit: Punch News)
The president of the Senegalese Football Federation said on Monday that toxicity had surrounded the national team at the World Cup after coach Pape Thiaw demanded a pay rise.
Thiaw was sacked on Sunday, a day after his side were knocked out in the last 32 by Belgium on July 1.
FSF president Abdoulaye Fall told a press conference in Dakar that there had been a breakdown in trust between the federation and Thiaw, citing the initial failure to agree a new contract following the coach’s demand for more money.
Thiaw, 45, a former Senegal international, took over as national team boss in 2024. Before departing for the World Cup, he had requested a salary increase from 20 million CFA.
The two sides eventually reached an agreement of 30,000 CFA during the tournament and also resolved other disputes, including bonuses.
Fall said Thiaw had at one point threatened not to travel with the team to the World Cup if his demands were not met, explaining that Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had to intervene to convince him to change his mind on the very day the squad was due to depart for the United States.
He added that the contract was eventually signed on the eve of Senegal’s second group match, against Norway, after Thiaw refused to take his place in the dugout until the matter was settled.
According to Fall, Thiaw believed federation officials were working against him, and this perception affected how the national team operated.
During the World Cup, the Lions of Teranga suffered back-to-back defeats in the group stage against France and Norway, before a 5–0 win over Iraq secured their place in the knockout rounds.
Under Thiaw, Senegal had earlier won the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, before being stripped of the title as punishment for walking off the pitch during the chaotic final against Morocco.