Senegal football federation repatriates team chef over US sexual‑harassment allegations

During the 2026 World Cup in the United States, the Senegal national team’s head chef was sent back to Dakar after a locally hired employee accused him of sexual harassment. Federation secretary‑general Abdoulaye Saydou Sow told public broadcaster RTS that the allegation could be prosecuted under U.S. law and that keeping the chef in the country might have led to police involvement and a damaging scandal. The federation acted “as a precautionary measure” in coordination with Senegalese authorities to protect the team’s image and maintain stability within the delegation. Senegal was eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16, and the repatriation was presented as a step to avoid legal and media fallout.

Sow emphasized that behaviours considered jokes in Senegal can be interpreted as harassment in the United States, prompting the swift decision to return the staff member to Senegal.