Procès de l’échec des Lions : Pape Thiaw, seul coupable désigné ?
Following the Lions' elimination in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, the focus is now on assigning blame. And in the discourse put forth by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), Pape Thiaw appears to be at the center of all the criticism.
A few days after the FSF Executive Committee (Comex) decided to end its collaboration with the national team coach, FSF President Abdoulaye Fall held a press conference. This statement took on the air of a veritable indictment of the Senegalese coach.
In the federation boss's communication, several grievances are directly attributed to Pape Thiaw.
The first issue raised concerns the contract extension of the national team coach, which has reportedly been stalled since the victory at the Africa Cup of Nations. According to Abdoulaye Fall, discussions surrounding salary, allowances, and bonuses are at the root of the impasse. This situation has contributed to a certain tension surrounding the preparations for the tournament.
The choice of base camp was also among the criticisms leveled. Setting up the team in Raleigh, while the Lions' first game was being played in Charlotte, resulted in long daily commutes for the players. The FSF president, however, clarified that this decision had been approved by the head coach and his advisors.
From a sporting perspective, Abdoulaye Fall also believes that Pape Thiaw had lost control of his team. According to him, the disappointing results recorded during the tournament were a direct consequence of the coach's choices and management.
Ultimately, according to the president of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), all the difficulties that led to the Lions' elimination bear the signature of a single man. Pape Thiaw thus appears to be the main, if not the sole, person responsible for this failure.
But can we really attribute a collective poor performance solely to the responsibility of one coach? While Pape Thiaw bears a significant share of the sporting responsibility, particularly in his tactical choices and group management, it seems difficult to place the entire burden of a failure on him alone, a failure that involves several players.
The Senegalese Football Federation, as the coach's employer and guarantor of the national team's administrative organization, cannot completely absolve itself of responsibility. Several reports have indicated dysfunctions in internal management, issues that extend beyond purely technical matters and also fall under the responsibility of the environment surrounding the national team.
Pape Thiaw certainly bears some responsibility for this elimination, but turning this failure into a trial against a single man risks masking the true causes of a poor performance that is above all collective.
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