Patrick Vieira will begin his tenure as head coach of the Senegalese national team with a Friday match in Maputo against Mozambique, according to the source article. The game marks the start of Senegal’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign and will be followed by a trip to Ethiopia on September 29 and a friendly against Comoros on October 4 in Marseille. The source says these three fixtures will allow Vieira to lay the foundations of his project and to give an early indication of his tactical choices. The article notes that Senegal has relied mainly on the 4‑3‑3 and 4‑2‑3‑1 formations under previous coach Pape Thiaw, which produced the team’s best results in recent competitions. Vieira, whose club experience emphasizes a balance between ball control and intensity, may adjust these systems, though the extent of any changes remains to be seen. Several key players will be unavailable for the opening qualifiers. Ismaïla Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye are specifically mentioned as absent, while Sadio Mané, Jakobs, Krépin Diatta and Édouard Mendy are not included in the squad for the Mozambique match. The absence of Mendy, who has announced his international retirement, opens the goalkeeper position to competition. The source indicates that Mory Diaw had been the backup keeper, but Yehvann Diouf’s recent seven‑save performance against Lille has strengthened his claim, with Ngagne Demba Thiam (Monza) and Mamour Ndiaye (Saint‑Étienne) also vying for the role. In defence, the squad called up contains nine players, seven of whom are central defenders—including Nobel Mendy, Malang Sarr, Sadibou Sané and Arona Sanganté—while only two true full‑backs, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Lamine Sy, are selected. This composition may require versatile players to fill flank positions, the article explains. Midfield is expected to see fewer alterations. Aside from the absence of Pathé Ciss and the return of Rassoul Ndiaye, the core of the World Cup squad remains, allowing Vieira to focus on refining attacking patterns rather than reshuffling personnel. The attack faces the most significant reshaping. With Mané injured, Sarr suspended and Ndiaye unavailable, Vieira must rebuild a forward line that differs markedly from previous iterations. Nicolas Jackson is highlighted as a possible focal point, and the source lists a group of players—Assane Diao, Ibrahim Mbaye, Abdallah Sima, Boulaye Dia, Issa Soumaré, Mamadou Diakhon and Pape Moussa Fall—who will compete for supporting roles and opportunities to establish themselves in the new hierarchy. Overall, the article frames Vieira’s early matches as a period of experimentation and evaluation, where his tactical decisions and player selections will be watched for clues about the direction he intends to take Senegalese football.
