Despite not reaching the quarter finals, the decision by President Macky Sall to pay the Senegal’s football squad its World Cup bonus has caused anger for some in the country.
 |
| Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly celebrates goal at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar with teammate. Photo: Raul Arboleda/Getty Images via The Telegraph |
Senegal had been tasked to reach the quarter finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, however, were kicked out of the tournament in the second round of the tournament by England 3-0.
President Sall made the announcement two days later, “We will fully pay the qualification bonuses for the quarter-finals for the whole official delegation.”
According to BBC:
The World Cup bonuses – which come out of the pool of nearly $23m (£19m) unlocked by the Senegalese government to cover the World Cup costs – will differ depending on the involvement of the 26 players in the entire campaign, including qualifying.
However, some ex players and other Senegalese sportsmen are not happy with the decision.
Former Teranga Lions forward Diomansy Kamara told local newspaper Stades, “If you win you must be rewarded, but if you lose you must learn from it.”
Former swimmer,Hamadel Ndiaye, 26, a Senegalese triathlon champion trying to reach the world series and qualify for the Olympics, told BBC Sport Africa: “Firstly, I was disturbed when I heard the story about the nice amount of money unlocked to bring fans to Qatar.
“In both 2019 and 2021, I wanted to participate in a race but the flight ticket to Dakar was $850 (£705) and I needed to pay another $120 (£100) for my bicycle as extra luggage but I couldn’t afford this.
“Sometimes we have to wait until the last minute to know if we can participate or not.”
