A new crisis hits Senegalese football over Papy Thiaw, and it could reach court

Senegalese football is in fresh crisis over former national team boss Pape Thiaw, just days after his dismissal. A dispute between the government and the Senegalese Football Federation over his new contract is escalating fast, and it now threatens to end up in the courts.

France's RMC network, citing Senegalese newspaper "Sud Quotidien", revealed that the Ministry of Youth and Sports had told the federation it never approved a three-year extension for Thiaw or the increase in his salary. The contract was signed during the "Lions of Teranga" campaign at the 2026 World Cup regardless.

That refusal matters because the state carries part of the financial burden of the coach's contract. It has declined to settle the sums owed under it, leaving the federation in a difficult financial and legal spot.

Thiaw put pen to paper on the new deal days before his sacking on 12 July. His renewal sparked wide controversy around Senegal's World Cup participation, a campaign plagued by crises within the delegation on both the administrative and logistical fronts.

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Federation president Abdoulaye Fall says Thiaw threatened not to travel with the squad to the World Cup unless his financial demands were met. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye stepped in to change his mind on the very day the delegation flew out to the United States.

The coach even refused to sit on the bench before the match against Norway on 23 June, Fall added, until the contract was officially signed on the eve of the game.

The new deal, according to the Senegalese newspaper, hands Thiaw a monthly salary of 30 million CFA francs, a signing bonus of 120 million CFA francs and 1% of the FIFA bonuses allocated to the national team. A clause also grants him compensation equivalent to eight months' salary if the contract is terminated.

Where those dues will land remains unclear. The government refuses to foot the bill, the federation faces mounting pressure to settle the matter, and reports suggest the standoff with the Ministry of Sports could drive both sides to court.

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