Roger Mendy, the former Senegalese international from the 1980s, has candidly addressed the current crisis afflicting Senegalese football, leaving no room for ambiguity.
Expressing his concern, Mendy points out the ingratitude exhibited by the country’s authorities towards coaches. In his view, the coaches are unfairly made scapegoats, forced to bear the consequences. According to Mendy, the issue at hand is not the coaches but a more systemic problem within Senegalese football: “It’s unfortunate; the coaches are the sacrificial lambs, and they are forced to pay the price. When we have good results, we say it’s the players; otherwise, we designate the coach as the scapegoat.”
Commenting on the wave of resignations following the Lions’ defeat against the Ivory Coast on October 13, the former AS Monaco player condemns the undue political interference in football management. Mendy questions the government’s insistence on ousting the federation president, emphasizing the need for the federation’s independence: “In Senegal, the government interferes too much in the management of football, but the federation must be independent and autonomous… The federation was elected for a four-year term; it should not be cleared like that all at once, under the pretext that it is the popular will. This is not the right time because there are deadlines looming on the horizon.” Mendy’s remarks highlight a call for a more nuanced and independent approach to football governance in Senegal.