Senegalese Football Federation
The national governing body for association football in Senegal.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Senegalese Football Federation (Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, or FSF) is the national governing body for association football in Senegal. Established in 1960 after Senegal became independent, it administers the country’s football system and represents Senegal within the international football structure. The federation is headquartered in Dakar and is affiliated with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with its international affiliations dating from 1964. The FSF’s responsibilities extend well beyond the senior men’s national team. It organizes and administers Senegal’s men’s, women’s and youth national teams, manages amateur football, sanctions competitions, develops regulations for players and clubs, and oversees technical, coaching, refereeing and grassroots programs. Professional league operations are delegated primarily to the Ligue Sénégalaise de Football Professionnel, but that body remains institutionally subject to the federation. The FSF also organizes the Senegal FA Cup and Super Cup and supervises the Amateur Football League, including the Nationale 1 and Nationale 2 competitions. The federation has played a central role in the growth of Senegalese football. Its national teams have become prominent in African football, particularly the men’s team known as the Lions of Teranga. Senegal reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals in 2002, appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2002 and 2019, and won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021. The federation also supports Senegal’s Olympic, under-20, under-17, women’s and beach-soccer teams. Senegalese beach soccer has been especially successful in African competition. The FSF operates within a complex sporting environment in which public authorities, professional leagues, regional associations, clubs, neighborhood competitions and private academies all have important roles. The federation depends substantially on cooperation and public funding from Senegal’s Ministry of Sports for competitions, national-team activities, training and development. Its governance structure includes a General Assembly, a 23-member executive committee, vice-presidents and representatives of leagues, clubs, regional bodies and women’s football. A notable example of the federation’s evolving scope is its relationship with Navétanes, Senegal’s large neighborhood-based amateur football system. Navétanes developed outside the formal federation structure and historically involved institutional disputes among local associations, the FSF and the Ministry of Sports. In 2008, the national coordinating organization ONCAV and the Navétanes system became affiliated with the FSF and FIFA, although the competitions retained considerable operational independence. The FSF has also expanded its role in women’s football. Early women’s activities developed largely through local initiatives, but the federation gradually began sanctioning leagues, championships and international matches. A stronger institutional commitment followed in the 2000s, including the creation of a national league, support for coaches and teams, and logistical assistance. Youth development similarly combines federation programs with privately operated academies, many of which provide both football training and formal education. The federation has faced periods of institutional strain. Poor national-team results contributed to unrest around its Dakar headquarters in 2008, after which the organization was temporarily replaced by a FIFA-supported normalization committee before being reorganized in 2009. It has also experienced disputes with the Ministry of Sports over coaching contracts and national-team financing, disciplinary controversies, stadium violence and competition sanctions. Despite these challenges, the FSF remains the central administrative institution for football in Senegal and the organizer of the country’s international football representation.
History
Football was introduced to Senegal during the colonial period, including through French soldiers who played the sport in the country. It subsequently became embedded in Senegalese social and sporting life. The Senegalese Football Federation was formed in 1960, following independence, to provide a national institutional framework for the game. The FSF joined FIFA and CAF in 1964. These affiliations enabled Senegal to participate fully in international football, although the federation withdrew from the 1966 World Cup qualifying process during a collective African protest against FIFA’s allocation of World Cup places and the use of an intercontinental playoff. The episode reflected broader debates about Africa’s position in global football governance. For much of its history, Senegalese football developed through an interaction between the federation, the Ministry of Sports, clubs, regional associations and informal or semi-formal neighborhood competitions. Navétanes, a major amateur competition organized through local Sports and Cultural Associations, initially operated largely outside the federation’s authority. ONCAV was created by the Ministry of Sports in 1970 to coordinate the system, but local associations later regained substantial control. In 2008, ONCAV and Navétanes became affiliated with the FSF and FIFA, creating a formal relationship while preserving significant local autonomy. The federation experienced a difficult period in the late 2000s. Failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations generated intense supporter anger, including attacks on federation property and disturbances around the national stadium. The FSF was subsequently dissolved and replaced by a normalization committee, which remained in place until the federation was reorganized in 2009. The normalization process also supported the restructuring and professionalization of domestic competitions. Professional leagues were placed under the Ligue Sénégalaise de Football Professionnel, while the FSF retained ultimate authority over the football system. Women’s football developed initially through local initiatives and informal coaching. The federation’s involvement increased through international exhibition activity, advocacy by football administrators and the appointment of dedicated women’s-football leadership. By the early 2000s, the FSF had established a national women’s league and was providing uniforms, coaching support and transportation. The women’s national team made its first Africa Cup of Nations appearance in 2012. Youth development is delivered through both federation competitions and private academies. The FSF organizes youth national teams and has supported parallel youth competitions intended to strengthen the pathway into professional football. Many academies remain privately run and are subject to limited federation oversight unless their teams enter sanctioned competitions. The Aldo Gentina Academy was created through a collaboration involving ASC Jeanne d’Arc and AS Monaco, while the Diambars institute combined football development with education and involved figures connected with Senegalese and French football. The FSF has also had recurring administrative disputes. In late 2011 and early 2012, disagreements among the federation, the Ministry of Sports and coach Amara Traoré delayed preparations for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. The dispute concerned the coach’s contract, salary and the financing of the national team. After Senegal’s early exit, Traoré was dismissed and pursued legal claims, producing a court order against the federation before the parties later settled privately. In 2012, crowd violence during a qualifier against Côte d’Ivoire brought further disciplinary consequences from CAF, including disqualification from the next Africa Cup of Nations cycle and a stadium ban. The COVID-19 pandemic created another major governance decision in 2020. Acting on medical advice, the federation ended the 2019–20 season, stopped promotion and relegation and identified clubs for continental participation. It also announced financial assistance for teams affected by the interruption. Through these changes, the FSF has remained the central institution responsible for Senegalese football administration, national-team organization, player regulation, technical development and international representation.
- 2020
Domestic season cancelled during COVID-19
[1]The remaining 2019–20 season was cancelled, with promotion and relegation suspended.
- 2011
Parallel youth league created
[1]The FSF created a youth competition alongside the professional league to strengthen junior development.
- 2009
Reorganization after normalization
[1]The federation was reorganized after a temporary normalization committee period.
- 2008
Navétanes enters the affiliation framework
[1]ONCAV and the neighborhood Navétanes competition became affiliated with the federation and FIFA.
- 1964
FIFA and CAF affiliation
[1]The FSF became affiliated with FIFA and CAF.
- 1961
Senegal FA Cup begins
[1]The federation’s national cup competition was established.
- 1960
Federation established
[1]The Senegalese Football Federation was founded to administer football in the newly independent country.
Products and positioning
The authoritative national football regulator and development institution for Senegal, combining competition administration, national-team management, grassroots participation and international representation.
National teams
Senegal national football teams
The FSF manages Senegal’s senior men’s and women’s teams as well as youth, Olympic and beach-soccer selections. It appoints staff, organizes fixtures, manages logistics and funding, and represents the teams in FIFA, CAF and regional competitions.
Domestic competition · 1961
Senegal FA Cup
The national knockout cup is organized by the federation and provides a competition linking clubs from Senegal’s football structure.
Amateur competition
Amateur Football League
The FSF directly administers the Amateur Football League, including Nationale 1 and Nationale 2, which function as feeder competitions connected to the professional divisions.
Women’s football · 2000
Women’s football program
The federation sanctions women’s leagues, championships and international fixtures, and supports teams through coaching, equipment and transport. Institutional development accelerated in the 2000s.
Youth development
Youth football program
Youth competitions and national selections form part of the FSF’s player-development system. The federation also regulates participation pathways between grassroots, amateur and professional football.
Controversies
2012
El Hadji Diouf ban and allegations of corruption
The federation imposed a five-year football-related ban on El Hadji Diouf after he made allegations concerning corruption in African football. The ban was later rescinded.
2012
Côte d’Ivoire qualifier crowd riot
A Senegal–Côte d’Ivoire qualifier was abandoned after supporters threw objects, started fires and caused violence. CAF disqualified Senegal, imposed a stadium ban and fined the federation.
2008
Supporter violence after qualification failure
Following Senegal’s failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, supporters attacked the federation’s Dakar headquarters and caused damage around the national stadium.
Brand decisions
2020
Cancellation of the 2019–20 seasonOtherBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic made it impractical to complete the domestic football calendar.
Action taken
The executive committee cancelled the remaining fixtures, halted promotion and relegation, designated clubs for continental representation and announced financial support for affected teams.
Aftermath
The decision provided an emergency administrative response but suspended the normal competitive movement between divisions.
2009
Domestic football reorganizationStrategyBackground
Governance problems and pressure to professionalize domestic football led to a temporary normalization committee.
Action taken
The federation was reorganized and professional league administration was structured around the LSFP under FSF authority.
Aftermath
The revised structure separated professional league operations from the federation’s wider regulatory and national-team responsibilities.
2008
Formal affiliation of NavétanesStrategyBackground
Neighborhood football had historically operated with considerable independence from the federation and the Ministry of Sports.
Action taken
The FSF affiliated ONCAV and Navétanes with the federation and FIFA while allowing the competitions to retain substantial local autonomy.
Aftermath
The arrangement brought the competition into the formal football structure without eliminating its community-based character.
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