The decision by President Macky Sall to pay Senegal’s football squad its World Cup bonus despite the team not hitting its target has caused anger for some in the West African nation.
The African champions had been tasked with reaching the quarter-finals but bowed out in the second round after a 3-0 defeat by England.
“We will fully pay the qualification bonuses for the quarter-finals for the whole official delegation,” Sall announced two days later.
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 former players and other Senegalese sportsmen have questioned the move.
“If you win you must be rewarded, but if you lose you must learn from it,” former Teranga Lions forward Diomansy Kamara told local newspaper Stades.
Despite its generous nature, Sall’s decision was even less favourably received by athletes from other sports who traditionally have to fight to fund their own participation in competitions.
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