Senegal’s return to Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor was overshadowed by serious access problems for supporters, despite the Lions’ 4-1 victory over Sudan and their strong position in the race for CAN 2027 qualification.
Fans with valid tickets reportedly spent hours waiting outside the stadium, while others were unable to reach their seats because those places were already occupied. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) issued a statement on Friday, 13 November, acknowledging the problems and setting out corrective measures.
The federation said 41,994 tickets had been sold from the 43,569 issued for the match, representing 96% of the stadium’s capacity. It added that ticket sales generated 258,873,000 CFA francs.
The FSF said the fixture was the first time Senegal had used a fully digital ticketing system, with the process entrusted to Orange Senegal. The figures were published in response to allegations from some supporters that more tickets had been sold than there were available places.
The federation defended the move, saying it was intended to improve the “security of transactions and control of the distribution circuit while reducing as much as possible speculative practices around national team matches”.
However, it accepted that the system had not worked smoothly on matchday.
“This popular success must not, however, conceal the malfunctions observed,” the FSF said, adding: “We offer our sincere apologies to supporters who experienced difficulties accessing Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor.”
Several supporters also described confusing scenes on social media. Some said they had been refused entry despite holding tickets, while others claimed to have found their allocated seats occupied.
Orange Senegal was asked whether more tickets had been sold than the stadium could accommodate. Its response was unequivocal: “We did not sell more tickets. Access to the stadium is managed by the relevant authorities.”
The figures released by the FSF do not indicate an oversale, with the number of tickets sold remaining below the number issued. They do not, however, explain all the problems reported at the entrances and inside the stands.
Digital ticketing can help reduce illegal resale and make the sales process more transparent. Its success also depends on the quality of the entry arrangements, ticket checks and the number of staff available to manage supporters.
The difficulties at this match highlighted the need for better planning before future fixtures. The FSF and its partners will need to improve the organisation of entry checks, supporter movements and staffing levels.
The system is intended to make access to the stadium easier, not turn arrival at a match into an ordeal.