The team chef of Senegal has denied allegations of sexual harassment made during the country’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in the United States, saying he is the victim of a plot linked to disagreements over the team’s catering and logistics.
The chef, identified as “Chef Diallo”, spoke publicly for the first time following his departure from Senegal’s World Cup camp before one of the team’s matches.
According to reports carried by L’Observateur and cited by Seneweb, a locally recruited employee accused the chef of making repeated remarks, inappropriate gestures, alleged touching and a “promise of marriage”. The same report said the woman claimed to possess audio recordings in support of her allegations.
The reports also stated that Chef Diallo was removed from the team’s hotel during the night before later returning to Senegal, a development which reportedly affected the national team’s catering arrangements during the tournament.
Chef Diallo has rejected the allegations.
According to WiwSport, he said the incident involved a woman of Costa Rican origin who had been introduced to him as a kitchen assistant.
He maintained that his interaction with her was limited to thanking her for assisting in the kitchen at the end of a shift.
“I never proposed marriage to anyone,” he said. “I simply gave her a friendly pat before leaving the kitchen.”
Chef Diallo said he had never behaved inappropriately towards the woman and described the allegations as a “cabale” against him.
He also disputed reports surrounding his departure from the United States, saying he had not been arrested by police and that he left only after preparing dinner for the Senegal players.
According to WiwSport, the chef added that no official complaint had been communicated to him.
Beyond responding to the allegations, Chef Diallo also raised concerns about the organisation of Senegal’s catering arrangements during the World Cup.
He said the team had been introduced, two months before travelling to the United States, to Maya Fall, an American woman of Senegalese origin whom he said was responsible for logistics.
According to Chef Diallo, she coordinated logistical matters for both Senegal and Ivory Coast, with food supplies and accommodation managed through her.
The chef said Senegal’s players consume only halal food and rely on him to prepare their meals.
He claimed that after the squad arrived in Raleigh, North Carolina, many of the ingredients he had requested were unavailable and that some of the meat supplied did not meet halal requirements.
As a result, he said he refused to prepare some of the meat provided, choosing instead to cook only chicken and fish for the players.
Chef Diallo also claimed that he used his own money to purchase additional ingredients needed for the team’s meals.
The controversy has added to existing scrutiny over Senegal’s organisation during the World Cup.
Earlier reports surrounding the team’s camp included claims that the squad did not have an official chef and that some players had ordered food from outside because of concerns about meals provided at the team hotel.
Seneweb also reported that Senegal’s Ministry of Sports distanced itself from the matter. Delegation chief Mama Laye Mbaye reportedly said Chef Diallo was not included on the ministry’s official delegation list and was no longer with the squad when ministry officials arrived.
The Senegalese Football Federation has not publicly released detailed information regarding the case.
At present, the matter remains based on media reports and Chef Diallo’s account rejecting the allegations.
The chef insists he has been targeted as part of a plot connected to disagreements over the team’s catering and logistical arrangements.
The episode has also intensified discussion in Senegal over the management of the national team’s World Cup campaign, with wider questions being raised about food provision, travel arrangements, delegation planning and overall accountability beyond events on the pitch.
