Mondial 2026 : accusé de harcèlement sexuel, le cuisinier des Lions parle
In an interview published this Monday in L'Observateur, "Chef Diallo," the Lions' cook, recounts his abrupt departure from the United States, amid accusations of sexual harassment, on the eve of the France-Senegal match , when he was supposed to accompany Pape Thiaw's men throughout the 2026 World Cup. But before addressing this dark episode, the man who boasts 25 years of service to the Lions went back to the days preceding the arrival of Sadio Mané and his teammates at their base camp in New Jersey. It was at that moment, he suggests, that the African champions' American nightmare began. We present his account on this subject below (subheadings are from Seneweb).
Maya Fall
“Two months before our departure for the United States, we were put in touch with an American woman of Senegalese origin named Maya Fall, who was to manage all of Senegal’s logistics. That’s how it works with FIFA. She managed both the Senegalese and Ivory Coast national teams. Everything we did had to go through her. We worked for two months on all the national team’s training camps, focusing on accommodation and catering.”
"The players only eat halal food."
“Our goal [before joining the team’s base camp in New Jersey, Seneweb notes ] was to stay in a four-star hotel, because we have world-class players. We went to Raleigh, where we were put up in a hotel. To my surprise, there was nothing in the kitchen. We held meetings with the head chef, the restaurant manager, and the entire team. The players only eat halal food, and they trust me. If they are presented with a meal that isn’t halal, they won’t eat it. But what I saw here wasn’t halal. I was told that meetings would be organized. I replied, ‘No,’ because we had expressed our needs two months prior, and I had been assured that everything would be provided. To my surprise, there was nothing.”
"I only prepared chicken and fish."
“So I took responsibility and decided to go to the market. I was told, ‘No, the market is far away,’ which wasn’t true: it was seven minutes from the hotel. For two days, I didn’t touch the meat they gave me because it wasn’t halal. I only prepared chicken and fish. Since the players have their own diets, I used my own money to buy some food to satisfy them. This was just after we arrived in the United States, specifically in Raleigh, North Carolina.”
“Maya Fall was in cahoots with…”
“I thought that at our training camp in New Jersey, we would find everything we needed. I called Maya Fall and raised my voice. I disagreed and said I wouldn't go into the kitchen until I had all the necessary supplies. She hadn't respected anything. We were dealing with her for catering and everything Senegal needed in that area. She had a file I had given her even before we arrived in the United States. All the products were supposed to be available for Senegal. Unfortunately, there was nothing. The players know what I cook; they only eat what I prepare. The woman was in cahoots with the Americans. She was delivering products that weren't fresh. In the United States, everything is processed and packaged in bunches. Even the potatoes are canned, as are the vegetables. I couldn't cook that and serve it to the players, who are like my own children.”
"The players asked me to make them omelets."
“I preferred to keep all of this from the players. When we left North Carolina, we went to San Antonio. The players, seeing the situation, asked me to make them omelets. I spoke with Dr. Fedior, who is my direct contact. We work together every day and know what the players need. Fortunately, we only spent one night there [in San Antonio], because we had to play Saudi Arabia in a friendly match. We then returned to North Carolina for two days before heading to New Jersey [the Lions' base camp for the World Cup].” (To be continued)
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