Patrick Vieira has his first win as Senegal coach, but it arrived under the hard glare of an Ethiopian night. A 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory was the result he needed; the performance, particularly after the break, left plenty for his new side to address.
First victory in Ethiopia
- Senegal had opened their CAN 2027 qualifying campaign with a 1-1 draw against Mozambique.
- They travelled to Ethiopia, ranked 144th by FIFA, and secured a narrow 1-0 win on Tuesday.
- Ibrahim Mbaye scored the decisive goal from inside the penalty area after Nicolas Jackson, his Aston Villa team-mate, created the opening.
- The result gave Vieira his first success in charge and offers the 50-year-old coach a calmer platform for the next stage of his work.
Vieira has begun to impose a 3-4-3 system, a shape Senegal have rarely used from the start in recent years, even if it has occasionally appeared during matches. The former France international, who won 107 caps and scored six goals, has quickly discovered the difficulty of away trips on the continent.
Senegal survive a difficult second half
Ethiopia were willing but lacked precision in the final action, yet they controlled much of the second half and placed Senegal under severe pressure in the closing stages.
Goalkeeper Yéhvann Diouf made a crucial intervention in the 57th minute, denying Kenean Markneh from close range after the Ethiopian forward had escaped behind Senegal captain Moussa Niakhaté.
- Before that decisive save, Pape Gueye appeared fortunate at the 48th-minute free-kick incident, when he delayed the restart and could have been shown a second yellow card.
- Vieira reacted by replacing Gueye with 18-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder Bara Sapoko Ndiaye.
- Malang Sarr was handed his first Senegal start. He made a positive impression overall, despite one dangerous error while playing out from the back in the first half.
- Idrissa Gueye, now 37, again began among the substitutes and entered later, another indication that Vieira may be moving responsibility towards a younger group.
Comoros next at the Vélodrome
Senegal will now face Comoros in a friendly at Marseille’s Stade Vélodrome on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 2pm. Vieira will arrive with a first victory on the board, but also a clear reminder that his new 3-4-3 still requires work when Senegal are forced to defend deep and endure difficult away spells.
