AFCON: Idrissa Gana Gueye Firmly Denies Poisoning Rumors and Confirms the Excellence of Morocco’s Organization
Over the past few days, unfounded and malicious rumors have circulated on social media and certain platforms, claiming an alleged food poisoning of the Senegal national team ahead of its Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco. These allegations, devoid of any factual basis, clearly amount to disinformation and are supported by no credible evidence or testimony.
In response to this attempt at manipulation, those directly concerned moved quickly to set the record straight. Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye issued a categorical denial, putting an end to all speculation surrounding any supposed health incident during the Lions of Teranga’s stay in Morocco.
In a statement relayed by several Senegalese media outlets, the player was unequivocal: no case of food poisoning affected the national team. He underlined the high level of professionalism that governs the team’s logistical, medical and nutritional preparation. “At every competition, we travel with our own chef. We have full control over our food and everything went very well,” he said, leaving no room for ambiguity.
This clarification is essential. National teams competing in a tournament of AFCON’s stature apply extremely strict protocols, particularly in matters of health and nutrition. In this case, the Senegalese delegation did not rely at any point on external catering circuits, which renders the accusations entirely unfounded.
These rumors fit into a broader attempt to tarnish Morocco’s image, even as the Kingdom delivered an organization of the Africa Cup of Nations that was widely praised. From the reception of delegations to the quality of sporting, hotel and medical infrastructure, as well as security, logistics and team preparation conditions, Morocco demonstrated exemplary expertise in line with the most demanding CAF and FIFA standards.
Throughout the tournament, players, technical staffs, federation officials and observers alike acknowledged the rigor, transparency and professionalism of the Moroccan organization, along with the warmth of the hospitality extended to all delegations without distinction.
It should also be recalled that Morocco regularly hosts major continental and international competitions under irreproachable conditions, further strengthening its position as an African and Mediterranean sports hub. The facts, firsthand testimonies and standards applied on the ground are sufficient to demonstrate the baseless nature of these accusations.
This clear and well-documented denial definitively puts an end to an artificial controversy. African football deserves to be protected from rumors and instrumentalization. It must remain a space of fair play, respect and truth, values that Morocco’s organization of this AFCON fully embodied.
Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv
