The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has been plunged into crisis after president Abdoulaye Fall revealed that the national team's long-serving head doctor, Dr Fedior, is actually a gynaecologist by training — a discovery he admitted came "too late".
The stunning admission came during a press conference on Monday, July 13, as the federation conducted a post-mortem of Senegal's disappointing World Cup campaign. Dr Fedior had been with the Lions of Teranga for a decade.
"Our head doctor does not have the academic profile to accompany our athletes," Fall told reporters. "Dr Fedior is a gynaecologist by training. That is something I discovered late."
The revelation has raised serious questions about the federation's vetting process, with Fall admitting that the review of the head medic's credentials came far too late. A federation audit is now underway to identify how such a critical oversight could have gone undetected for years.
The immediate impact was felt inside Senegal's camp, with several senior players expressing serious concerns about the medical department. According to Fall, "several players in the Senegalese national team were not feeling satisfied or confident in receiving treatment and medical follow-up under the doctor's supervision".
The mismatch between the doctor's primary specialisation and the demands of elite sports medicine left some players reluctant to undergo examinations or rehabilitation programmes under his supervision.
The medical controversy was just one of several organisational failures that plagued Senegal's 2026 World Cup campaign.
On the pitch, Senegal opened the tournament with a 3-1 defeat to France, followed by a 3-2 loss to Norway. They recovered with a 5-0 thrashing of Iraq to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, but their World Cup journey ended in heartbreaking fashion against Belgium.
The Lions of Teranga led 2-0 until the 83rd minute of their Round of 32 clash, only to concede two late goals and a penalty in extra time, losing 3-2.
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