Senegal's new coach, Patrick Vieira, made his debut with a 1-1 draw against Mozambique in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Friday. The match was played in Maputo, as Senegal's home stadium does not meet international standards. Vieira, a former French international and Arsenal midfielder, has had mixed results as a coach with various clubs. He left Genoa last November with the club winless and bottom of Serie A.
The match against Mozambique was a challenging one for Senegal, as they struggled to find a way past a well-organised Mozambican defence. Despite having plenty of possession in the second half, they were unable to score. Nicolas Jackson had given Senegal the lead after 32 minutes with a close-range tap, but Geny Catamo equalised for Mozambique in first-half added time.
Vieira, 50, has inherited a Senegal team in transition, having taken over from sacked coach Pape Thiaw. Senegal had a dramatic year, being stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title and flopping at the World Cup. The team had a dispute with the African confederation CAF over a penalty awarded in the AFCON final, and an appeal against the decision will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on October 8.
In another match, Nigeria survived a scare to edge Madagascar 2-1 at home. The Super Eagles, who have not qualified for the past two World Cups, fell behind when Ehsan Kari scored for Madagascar after 16 minutes. However, two international debutants rescued Nigeria, with George Ilenikhena equalising in first-half added time and Moses Usor scoring the winner in the 65th minute.
Nigeria's victory was a significant one, given their recent struggles. The team has not qualified for the World Cup in recent years and has been rebuilding. The match was also notable for the debuts of Ilenikhena and Usor, who made a significant impact. Ilenikhena, 20, plays for a Saudi Arabia-based club, while Usor plays for Austrian champions LASK.
Senegal and Nigeria are both in the process of rebuilding their teams, with Vieira and the Super Eagles' coach working to assemble competitive squads. The Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches are an important part of this process, as the teams prepare for future tournaments. The results of these matches will be crucial in determining the teams' chances of success.
The next step for Senegal is their appeal against the CAF decision, which will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on October 8. The team's performance in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches will also be important, as they look to bounce back from a difficult year. For Nigeria, the focus will be on continuing to build their team and improving their results in future matches.
Key points
- Patrick Vieira made his debut as Senegal coach with a 1-1 draw against Mozambique.
- Nigeria edged Madagascar 2-1 at home in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
- Senegal and Nigeria are both rebuilding their teams ahead of future tournaments.
