Football officials say players questioned the team’s medical support during the tournament, but Senegal’s sports medicine body insists the doctor was fully qualified.

Dakar, Senegal (Running Africa) — The Senegalese Football Federation has admitted that concerns surrounding the national team’s medical staff undermined player confidence during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, adding to the growing scrutiny following the Teranga Lions’ disappointing exit.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, federation president Abdoulaye Fall revealed that some members of the squad became uneasy after discovering that the team’s doctor had previously specialized in gynecology.

Fall said the federation acted swiftly by bringing in additional medical personnel during the tournament to reassure players and reinforce confidence in the team’s healthcare support.

“We prioritized the welfare of the players and took immediate steps to address their concerns,” Fall said.

The remarks prompted a swift response from the Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine, which strongly defended national team doctor Abderahmane Fediore and dismissed any suggestion that he lacked the qualifications to work with elite footballers.

The association said Fediore is a certified specialist in sports medicine and sports biology, has served as Senegal’s national team doctor since 2017, and has been part of the medical staff at three FIFA World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments.

The federation’s admission comes as Senegal continues its review of a World Cup campaign that ended in heartbreak.

The Teranga Lions were eliminated in the Round of 32 after squandering a 2-0 lead in a dramatic 3-2 extra-time defeat to Belgium, a result that sparked widespread criticism and ultimately led to the dismissal of head coach Pape Thiaw over the weekend.

The medical controversy has now emerged as another factor in the federation’s assessment of what went wrong, raising fresh questions about player preparation, trust within the national team setup, and the broader management of Senegal’s World Cup campaign.