Tiao's demands caused Senegal's failure

The president of the Senegalese Football Federation spoke yesterday about the toxic atmosphere that surrounded the national team during the World Cup, following coach Babou Tiao’s demand for a salary increase.

Tiao was dismissed on Sunday after his team was eliminated in the round of 32 by Belgium, 2-3, on July 1.

Speaking at a press conference in Dakar, Federation president Abdoulaye Fall said, “There was a breakdown in trust between Babou Tiao and us,” referring to the initial failure to sign a new contract after Tiao’s request for a higher salary.

Tiao, 45, a former Senegalese international player, took charge of the national team in 2024.

Before heading to the World Cup, he asked for his monthly salary to be raised from 20 million CFA francs ($35,000) to 50 million CFA francs ($87,000).

Eventually, both parties reached an agreement worth 30 million CFA francs during the World Cup period, and other disputes regarding bonuses were also resolved.

Fall stated that Tiao at one point threatened not to travel to the World Cup unless his demands were met, adding that Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye persuaded him to change his stance on the day the team departed for the United States.

Fall clarified that the contract was signed on the eve of the team’s second match in the tournament against Norway, after Tiao refused to sit on the bench unless the agreement was finalized.

He added that Tiao believed “Federation officials were his enemies,” which had an impact on the national team’s performance.