The Senegalese national team have raised concerns over security, ticketing, accommodation, and training arrangements ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
The Teranga Lions will compete in the AFCON 2025 final after defeating Egypt in Wednesday’s semi-final.
In a statement released Saturday, January 17, by the Secretariat of the Senegalese federation to CAF and the public, the team said it was compelled to speak out “for the sake of transparency and defence of the interests of the Senegal national team,” citing “several malfunctions” that were observed during preparations for the final.
The federation pointed to what it described as significant lapses in security upon arrival in Morocco. “The FSF deplores the clear absence of adequate safety device when the Senegalese delegation arrived at the Rabat railway station,” the communiqué said, warning 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 statement also raised frustrations over ticketing. “The official endowment is only two VVIP tickets,” the FSF said, contrasting this with the semi-finals and noting that there was limited access to VIP and VVIP tickets for the final. While confirming it had purchased the maximum allocation authorised by CAF, 300 Category 1, 850 Category 2, and 1,700 Category 3, the federation stressed that “these quantities, although fully acquired, remain insufficient in relation to demand.”
Concerns were also expressed over training preparations, with Senegal rejecting the planned venue. “The FSF has officially notified the Confederation of African Football (CAF) of its categorical refusal to hold its training sessions at the Mohammed VI Complex,” the statement read, explaining that the facility is “the base camp of the opposing team, which raises a problem of sporting fairness.” It added that Senegal had “not yet received notification from the training site of the Senegal national team.”
The federation disclosed further challenges surrounding accommodation, saying formal protest had been required before suitable arrangements were made. “Regarding hotel logistics, the FSF informs that an official protest by mail was necessary to win the case,” the statement noted, adding that “a 5-star hotel was finally awarded to the Lions, thus guaranteeing the required recovery conditions.”
The Senegalese Football Federation called on 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.”
