2026 World Cup: There’s a surprising new story about the Senegalese gynecologist
Senegal has found itself at the center of a new controversy following its disappointing World Cup campaign. The controversy stems from statements made by the president of the Senegalese Football Federation, Abdoulaye Fall, who revealed during a press conference that he had only discovered during the tournament that the national team’s doctor, Abderahmane Fediore, was a gynecologist. “He didn’t have the appropriate academic background to work with a soccer team,” Fall said, remarks that immediately sparked debate in the country.
The Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine was quick to respond. The organization pointed out that Fediore not only specializes in gynecology but also has training in sports medicine and biology. Furthermore, he has been part of the senior national team’s staff since 2017, having participated in three World Cups and five Africa Cups of Nations, and contributing to the historic victory at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.
The controversy comes at an already difficult time for Senegalese soccer, fresh off a 2026 World Cup campaign that was anything but thrilling. The Lions of Teranga were placed in Group I alongside France, Iraq, and Norway, and suffered a 3-1 defeat against Les Bleus in the group stage. France, which went on to reach the semifinals before being eliminated by Spain, had dominated its group with three wins in as many matches, making Senegal’s path even more arduous right from the start.
The context of the North American tournament certainly did not help the Senegalese team make a good impression on the international stage. While Europe’s powerhouses were vying for a spot in the tournament’s final stages—with Spain reaching the final after eliminating France 2-0 in the Dallas semifinal—Senegal was already grappling with its own internal difficulties. This situation makes the controversy surrounding the national team’s medical management even more emblematic of an overall critical moment for the country’s soccer movement.
