Senegalese anger after the suspension of the Lat Dior stadium by CAF

The decision taken by the Confederation of African Football to remove the Lat Dior Stadium in Thies (70 km from Dakar) from the long list of approved stadiums that can host the World Cup finals, was a very bitter pill for the Senegalese, who did not fail to underline the frivolity of the authorities in general, and that of sport in particular.

The decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) was a blow to the dreams of many Senegalese, who had hoped to see talented players like Algerian Riyad Mahrez and Moroccan Achraf Hakimi arrive on their soil. This will not be the case in the coming months, as the only stadium that still had the CAF’s approval, which had given it a provisional approval, the Lat Dior Stadium in Thies, has just been banned from hosting international football matches.

Ibrahima Fall, tailor » Amateurism! « exclaims Ibrahima Fall, a tailor, who says he does not « understand how the Senegalese authorities have reached this stage, especially for a so-called football country like Senegal. How can a country like Senegal, which is one of the best African teams, not have a single stadium available, capable of meeting CAF standards. It is a failure, and we must dare to say it. Today, Senegal should be able to organize international competitions, such as African Cups, » laments the tailor who points out that « this Lat Dior stadium, which I have known since my birth, has not changed at all. Nothing has changed, except the pitch. It’s really a pity. I think CAF did well to suspend a country as negligent as Senegal.

Jules Ndione, motorbike taxi driver » This suspension is a shame for Senegal which has reached a level where its football goes beyond its borders. It is extremely serious that Senegal is suspended and has to play away from home because of the lack of a world-class stadium. For a so-called football nation that has no stadium, while we know that everything starts with the infrastructure. Worse still, the authorities have been promising for months to provide the country with stadiums up to standard, but nothing: only broken promises. At present, each region of Senegal should have at least one stadium that meets international standards, alas. A country of more than 16 million inhabitants, runner-up in the African football championship and which does not even have a stadium up to standard, it’s a real shame, » says Jules Ndione, a motorbike taxi driver.

Mame Goor Diagne, a bakerFor Mame Goor Diagne, a baker, « the situation is extremely serious, we have to find out who is responsible and draw all the lessons. I also think that sanctions are needed at all levels so that this situation never happens again. Personally, I can’t understand how Senegal, a country with players who have won prestigious trophies such as the Champions League, a nation with great names in football who play in the four corners of the world, does not have a single football stadium that meets the standards, it’s a big shame. Honestly, I can’t understand how we got here. I’m disgusted, » lamented the manager of Sope Naby Bakery.