RABAT, Morocco (AP) — The Senegalese Football Federation has made serious complaints about the way its national soccer team is being treated in Morocco ahead of Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco.
The federation, known as FSF, issued a statement in the early hours of Saturday morning in which it criticized an alleged lack of security arrangements for the team’s arrival in Rabat, problems with the team’s accommodation, issues with the training facilities, and difficulties getting a fair ticket allocation for its supporters.
It called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the local organizing committee to “immediately take every corrective measure to guarantee respect for the principles of fair play, equal treatment, and security indispensable for the success of this celebration of African football.”
Senegal’s players traveled by train from Tangier to Rabat on Friday, but found what the federation said was a “clear lack of adequate security measures” upon their arrival.
“This deficiency exposed the players and technical staff to overcrowding and risks incompatible with the standards of a competition of this magnitude and the prestige of a continental final,” the federation said.
The federation said it had to file a formal written complaint to get adequate hotel accommodation for the team after its arrival in Rabat. It did not describe the condition of the accommodation the team was first offered.
The federation said it notified CAF of its “categorical refusal” to hold team training sessions at the Mohammed VI Complex, which is where the Morocco team has been based for the whole tournament. Morocco will also train there Saturday.
The federation said it “raises a question of sporting fairness” and that it still had not been informed of where the Senegal team can train.
In the media activities agenda for Saturday, shared with media on Friday, Senegal’s training session location was still to be confirmed.
The federation said the ticketing situation was “concerning.” It was only able to purchase 2,850 tickets for its supporters as per the maximum limits authorized by CAF.
The federation said the allocation is “insufficient given the demand” and that it “deplores the imposed restrictions, which penalize the Senegalese public.”
The capacity of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which is hosting the final, is 69,500 fans. Morocco has been buoyed by vociferous support in all its games so far. It’s unlikely the final will be any different.
Morocco is bidding to end a 50-year wait for its second Africa Cup title. Senegal, which won the 2021 trophy, is also going for its second title.
The federation said it was making its complaints public “In the interest of transparency and to defend the interests of the Senegalese national team.”
AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations
Senegal squad pose before the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohamed Bounaji)
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City nurses on strike restarted contract talks Friday with another one of the major hospital systems affected by the walkout that’s now in its fifth day.
The New York State Nurses Association said its bargaining team resumed meetings with their counterparts at the three impacted Mount Sinai hospitals at the request of a mediator.
Brendan Carr, CEO of the Manhattan-based health care provider, said Friday that administrators are working to bring the medical facilities to full capacity as they work toward a deal to end the city’s biggest strike of its kind in decades.
Mount Sinai has extended its contracts to retain thousands of temporary nurses to fill shifts and is also bringing on more specialized staffers to help bring surgical volumes back to normal, he said.
Nurses met Thursday night with NewYork-Presbyterian officials and a federal mediator in the first negotiations since roughly 15,000 nurses walked off the job Monday.
The hourslong meeting ran past midnight and ended with very little progress made, according to the union.
The hospital said in a statement that the discussions focused on addressing the union’s concerns about staffing levels, but that it still views the union’s proposals as “unreasonable.”
The union said it put forward revised proposals that hospital officials rejected without offering a counter proposal.
Both sides said there’s so far no further plans to meet.
“While we continue to be far apart, we are committed to bargaining in good faith,” NewYork-Presbyterian said in a statement. “We are committed to safe staffing and have the best staffing ratios in the city.”
Meanwhile union negotiations still have not resumed with Montefiore, the third major hospital system impacted.
The union said previously that it had expected to sit down with officials from the Bronx-based health care provider Friday, but the hospital disputed that claim, saying a meeting was never planned.
“NYSNA nurses respect the mediators and are ready and willing to come to the bargaining table when they call,” Nancy Hagans, the nurses’ union president, said in a statement. “We urge hospital executives to do the same.”
Each medical center is negotiating with the union independently, and not every hospital run by the three health care systems is affected by the strike.
The affected hospitals say their operations have been running smoothly since they hired thousands of temporary nurses to keep emergency rooms and other facilities open during the strike.
Dr. Philip Ozuah, president of Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx, one of the hospital campuses impacted by the strike, praised those still on the job.
“Another day, another miracle,” he wrote in a letter to staff. “Many thanks to our amazing teams, our most complex and exacting mission continues…providing life-saving care.”
Striking nurses demonstrate outside Mt. Sinai Hospital, in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Striking nurses demonstrate outside Mt. Sinai Hospital, in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
