Soccer Football – International Friendly – Saudi Arabia v Senegal – Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. – June 9, 2026 Senegal players line up during the national anthems before the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Daniel Dunn/File Photo
Senegal’s football federation has pushed back against claims of discriminatory treatment after viral footage appeared to show the “Lions of Teranga” being subjected to intense security screening on a US airport tarmac just days before the start of the World Cup.
The clip, which spread widely on Instagram and Facebook over the weekend, showed players and staff being checked by security personnel directly beside their aircraft, with some viewers alleging the squad had been singled out for harsher treatment than other delegations preparing for the tournament. One fan described the scene as a “disgrace,” claiming the team had been “treated like criminals.”
The footage was filmed on June 7 at Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina, as Senegal prepared to board a private charter to San Antonio, Texas, for their final pre-tournament friendly against Saudi Arabia. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) moved quickly on Tuesday to set the record straight, insisting the screening was a planned part of their travel logistics rather than a targeted search triggered by their arrival in the country.
According to the federation, the team bus drove straight from their Raleigh hotel onto the airport tarmac so that players and staff could clear security and police checks beside the plane, bypassing the terminal entirely. “As part of the logistical arrangements for the trip, the bus transporting the national team left the hotel in Raleigh to go directly to the airport tarmac,” the federation said in a statement. “This procedure allowed the players and staff members to complete all security and police checks directly at the foot of the aircraft, without having to pass through the usual airport terminal areas and boarding lounges.”
The FSF said the arrangement was designed purely to save time ahead of boarding. “This arrangement was primarily intended to optimize the delegation’s travel time and to facilitate boarding onto the private flight bound for San Antonio.”
The federation also stressed that the procedure followed standard rules governing private charter flights and passed off without any problems, adding that the squad reached Texas safely. It said the screening was carried out “under excellent conditions” and in line with “applicable airport security regulations,” noting that the journey to San Antonio went smoothly and the delegation landed as planned.
On the pitch, Senegal’s preparations hit a minor snag, as a 10-man side were held to a goalless draw by Saudi Arabia in Tuesday’s warm-up match, their last test before the World Cup gets underway.
The 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicks off later this month, and Senegal will open their Group I campaign against France in New Jersey on June 16. They then face Norway at the same venue on June 22 before rounding out the group stage against Iraq in Toronto on June 26.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah