Patrick Vieira unveiled his first Senegal squad on Wednesday, a 29-man selection that omits Sadio Mané and confirms the international retirement of Édouard Mendy. The announcement kicks off his tenure, which officially begins with an away trip to Mozambique on Thursday for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The new head coach, appointed on 18 August to succeed Pape Thiaw, had to manage without two key figures of the golden generation. "Sadio Mané has a physical issue, which is the reason for his absence, but he will be there for the next gathering," assured Patrick Vieira. Goalkeeper Édouard Mendy retired from international duty on 13 September at the age of 34.

A Renewed Squad

This first call-up of the Vieira era signals a renewal of the squad following their Round of 16 exit at the 2026 World Cup. Kalidou Koulibaly retains the captain's armband. Several newcomers have been included, such as defender Malang Sarr, midfielder Sadibou Sané and forward Pape Moussa Fall. The returns of Arouna Sangante and Abdallah Sima are also noted.

In attack, Nicolas Jackson, Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaïla Sarr, Senegal's top scorer this season with 4 goals in 4 caps, will have to compensate for Mané's absence. The list features nine players based in Ligue 1, including Moussa Niakhaté (Lyon) and Boulaye Dia (Rennes). The squad also blends experienced heads like Idrissa Gana Gueye with young talents such as Lamine Camara.

Context and Schedule

Senegal enters this new phase after a mixed 2026 World Cup, finishing third in their group with 3 points before losing in extra time to Belgium (3-2). Thursday's match against Mozambique, initially scheduled for Dakar, will now be played in Maputo at 15:00 local time due to the unavailability of the Abdoulaye-Wade stadium.

After this fixture, the Lions of Teranga will travel to Ethiopia on 29 September, before a friendly against Comoros in Marseille on 4 October. The two upcoming AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Mozambique and Ethiopia are key for starting the campaign positively. The full qualifying schedule is available on our fixtures page. The road to CAN 2027 qualification therefore begins with an immediate test for Patrick Vieira and his new team.

Read the full report at Sport.fr