Kader Mangane leads Senegal’s Maputo mission

Kader Mangane will lead Senegal’s advance mission to Maputo, placing the national team’s general manager at the centre of preparations for the trip to Mozambique. The assignment reflects a change in the distribution of responsibilities around the Lions as Patrick Vieira begins his tenure as head coach.

Mangane is taking over a task that has often been handled by Abdoulaye Sow, the secretary general of the Senegalese Football Federation. Sow will not travel for this mission. Former Senegal international Lamine Diatta has also not been selected to join the delegation.

A representative of the Sports Ministry will accompany Mangane as preparations are made for the national team’s arrival. Their work will cover the practical arrangements for the stay, including accommodation, training facilities and transport. Mangane will also be responsible for checking that the conditions in Maputo are appropriate for the team’s preparation.

The new structure is being introduced after Vieira replaced Pape Thiaw. Vieira arrived in Dakar on Thursday, but the final composition of his staff remains under discussion between the coach and the federation. Mangane’s role in Maputo therefore gives him an early responsibility within the reorganised national-team setup, while Sow and Diatta are not part of this stage of the planning.