Senegal FA settles unpaid hotel bill to head off fresh row before Women’s Africa Cup of Nations

The Federation Senegalaise de Football (FSF) has moved to avert a new off‐field scandal days before the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 by agreeing to pay an unpaid hotel bill that threatened to end up in court.

Senegal’s women’s national team had been at the centre of a dispute with the Axil Hotel in Dakar over costs linked to their pre‐tournament training camp for the CAN feminine 2026, which will take place in Morocco from 26 July to 16 August.

The disagreement related to a planned 10‐day stay by the Lionnes, scheduled from 13 to 23 July, during which 26 rooms were booked. The hotel also ordered specific food items tailored to the players’ nutritional requirements in anticipation of the camp.

However, the team is reported to have left the hotel after only two nights, departing early in the morning without notifying management and without settling for the accommodation and services already committed.

Axil Hotel subsequently claimed just under 25 million CFA francs – around €38,000 – from the federation. The hotel manager, who said he had blocked off his reservation platforms to be able to host the national team, warned he was prepared to take the case to the gendarmerie or the Division des investigations criminelles if payment was not made.

According to the latest reports in the Senegalese press, the FSF has now decided to close the matter by agreeing to pay the outstanding sum in full.

The return to Dakar of FSF president Abdoulaye Fall, expected this Thursday, is set to pave the way for the handing over of a cheque to the hotel and the final settlement of the debt. That resolution spares the federation from further legal action but does little to dispel concerns over how the women’s team’s preparations have been managed.

Mounting pressure on Senegal federation

The hotel dispute comes at a time when the FSF is already under heavy scrutiny. The governing body has faced sustained criticism following organisational problems surrounding the 2026 World Cup campaign with the men’s national team.

Allegations of poor governance, internal tensions within the federation, and reports of unpaid staff members have contributed to a sense of ongoing crisis. The FSF has also been dogged by the high‐profile controversy known as “l’affaire des 17 marabouts a la CAN”, further damaging its reputation.

On the pitch, Senegal are widely viewed as having the talent, squads and ambition – both in the men’s and women’s games – to establish themselves as one of Africa’s leading football powers over the long term.

But the series of administrative missteps and controversies has raised questions over whether the federation’s structures are capable of matching the country’s sporting progress. For many observers, a thorough clean‐up of the FSF’s management practices now appears essential if Senegal’s national teams are to realise their full potential on the continental stage.