SOGIP rejects blame for Abdoulaye-Wade pitch criticism

SOGIP has rejected claims that poor maintenance caused the Abdoulaye-Wade Stadium pitch to appear in bad condition during the UFOA A U17 tournament. The stadium operator said the surface’s temporary appearance followed planned maintenance rather than deterioration, after images from the matches on Monday, September 7 circulated widely on social media.

Routine work was carried out on Saturday, September 5, to protect the grass’s quality, density and playing performance. SOGIP said such operations can briefly change how a pitch looks. At the time, no match had been scheduled at the Diamniadio venue, which had been made available to the organising committee for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. The company said it learned on Sunday, September 6, that the tournament fixtures would be moved there because another approved stadium was unavailable.

With little time before the games, SOGIP said its technical teams and maintenance provider prepared the stadium for use. The explanation adds to a wider debate over the venue, which has faced recurring criticism since its inauguration, including concerns about access from Dakar and disagreements with the Senegalese Football Federation over hiring and availability conditions. Senegal’s next home fixture will instead be against Mozambique at Léopold Sédar Senghor Stadium on September 25 in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.