The premature elimination of Senegal from the 2026 World Cup continues to spark intense reactions within the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF). After several players voiced their criticisms, now an influential member of the Executive Committee is stepping up. Bacary Cissé believes this failure cannot be solely blamed on the national team’s performance. He argues that the federation’s administrative and organizational shortcomings significantly weakened the Lions during their global campaign. In a statement addressed to the FSF president and Executive Committee members, he calls for a thorough reform of the federation’s governance.
In his statement, Bacary Cissé specifically targets the functioning of the Federation’s General Secretariat. He believes this body, responsible for coordinating the administrative and logistical activities of the national team, has not fulfilled its mission properly. He claims that several dysfunctions were observed throughout the preparation and competition, including organizational issues, a lack of coordination among different departments, and administrative difficulties that hindered Senegal’s campaign.
The official also mentions several incidents that affected the Senegalese delegation before and during the World Cup. He highlights that some Executive Committee members and logistical officials faced difficulties with their travel arrangements, particularly in obtaining visas. For Bacary Cissé, these situations reflect significant shortcomings in planning and administrative management of the mission. In his view, such an unstable environment could not provide players with the best conditions to succeed in such a demanding competition.
According to him, the General Secretariat is the operational heart of the Senegalese Football Federation. This body is responsible for preparing missions, coordinating various stakeholders, and overseeing all activities of the institution. For this reason, Bacary Cissé believes it is entirely normal for its functioning to undergo a thorough evaluation after such a failure. He reminds us that in any modern organization, responsibilities must come with accountability.
The Executive Committee member insists that his approach is not based on any personal considerations. He claims to act solely in the interest of Senegalese football. According to him, when the same difficulties keep repeating over the years, when criticisms of administrative management become recurrent, and when trust gradually erodes, it becomes essential to engage in serious reflection on the governance of the Federation to prevent these problems from recurring.
Bacary Cissé believes that replacing a leader is never an end in itself. However, he considers that a change becomes necessary when a mode of operation clearly shows its limits. He advocates for a more efficient, more transparent administration that is more focused on serving clubs, players, and the national team. In his eyes, only a profound reform will enable the Federation to regain a governance capable of supporting the ambitions of Senegalese football.
In the conclusion of his address, the official makes a clear request to the FSF president. He believes that the dismissal of the general secretary, Abdoulaye Saydou Sow, has now become essential. According to him, this decision should not be seen as a punishment against an individual, but as a measure aimed at revitalizing the federation’s administration. He asserts that the future of Senegalese football must take precedence over any other consideration and calls on leaders to take responsibility.
FSF: The confidential letter that completely implicates Abdoulaye Saydou Sow revealed (read in comments) pic.twitter.com/Y5kUT1Uxxo
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“Mr. President of the FSF,
Ladies and gentlemen of the Executive Committee,
The time is not for empty congratulations or convenient silences. The time is for truth.
Our early exit from the World Cup has deeply disappointed the Senegalese people. This poor performance cannot be reduced to a mere sporting failure. It also reveals administrative, organizational, and strategic dysfunctions that weakened our team long before the first whistle.
We have all witnessed numerous difficulties that marked this campaign. Insufficient preparation, failing organization, coordination issues, questions about certain logistical and administrative choices, and challenges faced by several delegation members created an atmosphere that was not conducive to the serenity of our national team. Several Executive Committee members, along with those responsible for logistics, faced travel issues (visa problems), raising legitimate questions about the organization of this mission.
In light of such a situation, our responsibility is to question the functioning of our administration. The General Secretariat is the operational heart of our Federation. It ensures coordination, prepares missions, oversees their proper execution, and guarantees smooth administrative functioning. Therefore, it is normal for its actions to be subject to rigorous evaluation. In any modern institution, responsibilities come with an obligation to account for them.
Our reflection should not be guided by personal considerations but by the greater interest of Senegalese football. When the same difficulties keep resurfacing, when criticisms of administrative functioning become recurrent, and when trust erodes, it is legitimate to question the need for a fresh approach to administrative governance.
Changing a leader is never an end in itself. But when a mode of operation reaches its limits, change can become an act of responsibility. Our ambition must be to build a more efficient, more transparent, more collaborative administration that better serves clubs, players, and the national team.
Senegalese football deserves exemplary governance. Our players deserve an impeccable environment. Our supporters deserve an institution that learns from its failures.
If we want to regain the path to excellence, we must have the courage to reassess our organization, strengthen accountability mechanisms, and, Mr. President, today more than ever, the dismissal of the General Secretary, Mr. Abdoulaye Sow, has become more than a social demand. It is a necessity.
The real issue is not the fate of one man. The real issue is the future of Senegalese football. It is this future that we have a duty to protect.
Bacary Cissé
Member of the Executive Committee of the Senegalese Football Federation.
