The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has formally raised alarm over significant security lapses and logistical shortcomings as the national team prepares for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against host nation Morocco this Sunday. The concerns emerged immediately upon the team’s arrival in Rabat on Friday, where players faced a chaotic scene at the train station. Supporters swarmed the squad in attempts to take selfies, forcing athletes to physically push through crowds to reach their team bus without adequate security presence.
In an official statement, the FSF detailed multiple grievances beyond the security failure. These included dissatisfaction with the allocated hotel accommodations, an insufficient number of match tickets provided for Senegalese supporters, and being offered training facilities at the Moroccan national team’s base camp. The federation emphasized that the ‘lack of adequate security’ placed players and staff in potentially dangerous situations.
Team manager Pape Thiaw condemned the incident, stating, ‘What occurred was completely abnormal. Given the crowd size, anything could have happened, potentially endangering my players. Such situations should not occur between nations considered brothers.’
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe responded by affirming CAF’s duty to ensure Senegal receives ‘all necessary support and encouragement’ ahead of the championship match.
Separately, Manager Thiaw addressed speculation about star forward Sadio Mané’s international future. Following Mané’s match-winning performance in Wednesday’s semi-final against Egypt, the player suggested he would not participate in future AFCON tournaments. Thiaw expressed hope that Sunday’s final would not be Mané’s last, suggesting the decision was made ‘in the heat of the moment’ and that ‘the country does not agree’ with his potential retirement from the competition. Mané, Senegal’s all-time leading scorer with 52 goals in 123 appearances, will turn 35 before the next tournament in 2027, hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.