The Senegal national team has raised serious concerns over security, accommodation, training arrangements and ticketing ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco.
The concerns were made public in a strongly worded communiqué issued on Saturday by the Senegalese Football Federation, FSF, and addressed to the Confederation of African Football, CAF, and the general public.
According to the federation, the decision to speak out was taken “for the sake of transparency and defence of the interests of the Senegal national team” following what it described as several failures noticed during preparations for the final.
The statement, released through the Secretariat of the Teranga Lions, highlighted security lapses when the team arrived in Rabat.
“The FSF deplores the clear absence of adequate safety device when the Senegalese delegation arrived at the Rabat railway station,” the communiqué said.
It warned that the situation exposed players and officials “to a promiscuity and risks incompatible with the standards of a competition of this magnitude and the standing of a continental final.”
The federation also revealed that the team faced challenges with accommodation and had to formally protest before the issue was resolved.
“Regarding hotel logistics, the FSF informs that an official protest by mail was necessary to win the case,” the statement said.
It added that “a 5-star hotel was finally awarded to the Lions, thus guaranteeing the required recovery conditions.”
On training preparations, Senegal rejected the venue initially proposed by CAF, raising concerns over fairness.
“The FSF has officially notified the Confederation of African Football of its categorical refusal to hold its training sessions at the Mohammed VI Complex,” the communiqué stated.
The federation explained that the complex is “the base camp of the opposing team, which raises a problem of sporting fairness.”
It further disclosed that as of the time the statement was released, Senegal had “not yet received notification from the training site of the Senegal national team.”
Ticketing was also flagged as a major issue ahead of the final.
“The official endowment is only two VVIP tickets,” the FSF said, expressing frustration over the absence of VIP and VVIP ticket allocations, unlike what was available during the semi-final stage.
The federation confirmed that it had purchased the maximum number of tickets permitted by CAF, including 300 Category 1 tickets, 850 Category 2 tickets and 1,700 Category 3 tickets.
However, it stressed that “these quantities, although fully acquired, remain insufficient in relation to demand.”
The statement ended with a direct appeal to CAF and the Local Organising Committee to address the issues urgently.
“The Senegalese Football Federation calls on the CAF and the Local Organising Committee to take all immediate corrective measures to ensure respect for the principles of Fair Play, equal treatment and safety, essential to the success of this African football festival,” it said.
Senegal are aiming to secure another AFCON title when they feature in the 2025 final, having defeated Egypt in the semi-final on Wednesday.
