Senegal's goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, considered that the Africa Cup of Nations does not receive the same respect as tournaments like the European Championship and Copa America, pointing out some administrative issues facing African football.

Mendy said during a press conference ahead of the friendly match against Gambia: "Unfortunately, African football is suffering. We see African players in the best clubs in the world, but some people are undermining this achievement."

He added, "We do not receive the same respect as European or South American tournaments due to the weakness of the administrative bodies that do not elevate the competitions to the required level."

He concluded by saying, "We need to evaluate ourselves and review our institutions, as there are things happening here that do not occur in other continental federations."