Senegal held by Mozambique in Patrick Vieira debut

Senegal’s campaign to reach the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations started with dropped points, leaving Patrick Vieira without a victory in his first match as national-team coach. The 1-1 draw away to Mozambique gives the Lions one point from the opening round and places early pressure on their qualification bid.

The match took place in Maputo on Friday, 25 September. Senegal struggled to produce a fluent attacking display and failed to impose their game strongly enough to break Mozambique’s resistance. Although the Lions avoided defeat, the result was below what was expected from a team seeking to establish an advantage at the start of the qualifying schedule. It also extended a poor recent sequence, with Senegal recording only one win in their last seven matches.

The opening result means Senegal will need to make progress in their next fixture rather than carry a winning start into the group campaign. The Lions are due to face Ethiopia on Tuesday. Ethiopia also began with a defeat, losing 1-0 to Sudan, so both sides will be looking for their first points when they meet. For Vieira, that match will provide the first opportunity to respond to the draw and improve Senegal’s position after an unconvincing opening performance.