Women's AFCON 2026: Senegal kicks off with controversy
Poor preparation for the Senegal Lionesses? Just weeks before the start of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal's women's national team was forced to leave their training hotel in Dakar due to unpaid bills.
According to journalist Romain Molina, the players spent only two nights at the Axil Hotel. The hotel management reportedly asked the delegation to vacate the premises after the Senegalese Football Federation failed to settle the outstanding balance.
The hotel is also reportedly considering legal action against the FSF for unpaid invoices and losses related to non-refundable bookings. This rocky start has thrown the Lionesses' preparations into disarray and sparked plenty of controversy.
But now, it's time to respond on the pitch. Senegal released a 26-player squad list on Monday. The delegation received the national flag and then flew to Morocco after playing two friendlies against Egypt (1-0 and 0-1).
The qualification bonuses — which had been delayed — and the participation bonuses for the AFCON in Morocco have now been paid to the Lionesses to ensure they're in the best possible conditions.