Senegal's Sadio Mané and Kalidou Koulibaly at odds over Malang Sarr

Senegal's national football team is going through an unprecedented crisis after being eliminated in the round of 16 of the World Cup against Belgium. Recently, we revealed the many tensions within the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF).

What happened?

A meeting took place before the start of the World Cup between the coach and several leaders of the Senegalese locker room, regarding the case of Malang Sarr. Author of a remarkable season at RC Lens, the 27-year-old defender had finally had to settle for a reserve spot on the list.

Why is this important for Senegal?

Kalidou Koulibaly, Édouard Mendy, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Thiaw had previously discussed his case. If Sadio Mané had validated his presence in the group, Koulibaly had vetoed it. A disagreement that has only accentuated the tensions within the locker room.

What comes next?

24 hours before the first match of the Senegalese against France (defeat, 3-1), Sadio Mané estimated that Koulibaly was not 100% physically fit to play this match, the Al-Hilal player having arrived injured. Sadio Mané had then submitted the idea of replacing him with Sarr, a hypothesis that did not please Koulibaly at all.

Senegal has lost its last three matches, with a recent record of 2W-0D-3L (LLLWW, most recent first). The tension between the two leaders has only grown, not calming the noise around this Senegalese selection.