Senegal boss questions team doctor’s qualifications

Senegal’s football federation chief has said the national team’s doctor lacked the specialist background needed to support the squad during the World Cup, as the governing body reviewed a disappointing campaign.

President Abdoulaye Fall told a press conference that the team doctor was “trained as a gynaecologist” and the issue was discovered late. He said the matter raised concern among players about the level of medical support available.

“Based on the feedback I received, the players were not sufficiently reassured about being supported by him,” Fall said. The federation sought additional medical expertise to reassure the squad.

However, the Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine rejected the allegations as “unfounded and defamatory”. It said the team doctor, Abderahmane Fediore, holds a specialist diploma in sports medicine and sports biology from Cheikh Anta Diop University. He has worked as Senegal’s team doctor since 2017, including at three World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations.

Senegal fired coach Pape Thiaw on Saturday following their World Cup exit. The team lost their opening two group games to France and Norway and let slip a 2-0 lead against Belgium in the last 32 before losing 3-2 in extra time.

Senegal had beaten Morocco in January’s Africa Cup of Nations final.

SOURCE: AFP