Senegal government refuses to fund Pape Thiaw’s contract after approval dispute

The Senegalese government has refused to assume financial responsibility for Pape Thiaw’s contract, stating that the agreement signed between the former Lions of Teranga coach and the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) was never formally approved by the state.

The decision has created uncertainty over who will bear the financial obligations linked to Thiaw’s departure, with the government insisting that the federation must meet any contractual commitments from its own resources.

According to Sud Quotidien, Senegal’s Minister of Sports, Djireye Clotilde Coly, communicated the government’s position in a letter addressed to the Senegalese Football Federation.

In the correspondence, the minister explained that although the state had been designated as the third-party payer under the agreement, it had never given official approval to the three-year contract.

The government’s position means it does not recognise responsibility for the financial commitments contained in the deal, despite being named as the body expected to cover the payments.

Under the terms of the contract, Thiaw was entitled to a monthly salary of 30 million CFA francs, equivalent to approximately €45,700, in addition to a signing bonus of €183,000. The agreement also included a provision granting him 1% of the bonuses paid by FIFA.

The contract further contained a compensation clause that would become effective in the event of termination. Under that provision, Thiaw would be entitled to the equivalent of eight months’ salary, amounting to nearly €366,000.

However, the Senegalese government maintains that these financial commitments cannot be enforced against the state because the agreement was never formally endorsed through the required approval process.

The issue has placed the Senegalese Football Federation in a difficult position. According to the report, the federation renewed Thiaw’s contract on 22 June before dismissing him only weeks later.

As a result, the Ministry of Sports has informed the federation that if it wishes to permanently end its relationship with the coach, it will be responsible for meeting any financial obligations arising from the agreement.

The dispute centres not on the terms of the contract itself but on whether the state can be required to honour an agreement it says it never authorised.

With the government rejecting liability, the responsibility for any compensation payable to Thiaw could now rest entirely with the Senegalese Football Federation.