Senegal's new coach, Patrick Vieira, made his debut with a 1-1 draw against Mozambique in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. The game was played in Maputo, Mozambique, as Senegal's stadiums do not currently meet international standards. Nicolas Jackson scored for Senegal in the 32nd minute, but Geny Catamo equalized for Mozambique in first-half added time. Vieira, a former French international and Arsenal player, has had mixed results as a coach with various clubs.
Vieira, 50, has inherited a Senegal team in transition after being stripped of the AFCON title and flopping at the World Cup. The team had a dramatic year, including walking off the pitch to protest a penalty awarded in the AFCON final. Senegal won 1-0 after extra time but was later awarded a 3-0 loss. An appeal against the decision will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on October 8. Vieira's debut as coach was without goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and striker Sadio Mane.
Nigeria survived a scare to beat Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo. The Super Eagles, lacking injured star striker Victor Osimhen, fell behind when Ehsan Kari scored for Madagascar in the 16th minute. However, two international debutants, George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor, scored goals to secure the win. Ilenikhena equalized in first-half added time, and Usor scored the winner in the 65th minute. Nigeria had not qualified for the past two World Cups.
Cape Verde crashed 3-1 away to Mali in a wildly excited match. Goalkeeper Vozinha, a star at the World Cup, gifted Mali their third goal by losing possession outside his area. Dorgeles Nene struck the loose ball into an unguarded net. Mali dominated the game from start to finish and led within five minutes through Martial Tia. Cape Verde had levelled when a Sidny Cabral free-kick was deflected into the net.
Other results in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying included Egypt being held 0-0 at home by Angola, while Morocco and Algeria won comfortably against Gabon and Zambia respectively. The matches were part of the qualifying series for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations.
Vieira's Senegal team had a dramatic year, including being stripped of the AFCON title and flopping at the World Cup. The team walked off the pitch to protest a penalty awarded in the AFCON final to hosts Morocco, who missed the kick when Senegal returned. Senegal had also hammered Iraq to squeeze into the round of 32 at the World Cup, where they fell to Belgium.
The results bring mixed fortunes for the teams in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series. While Senegal and Nigeria secured results, Cape Verde's loss leaves them with a tough task ahead. The qualifying series will continue with more matches in the coming weeks.
Key points
- Patrick Vieira made his debut as Senegal coach with a 1-1 draw against Mozambique.
- Nigeria beat Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo despite missing injured star striker Victor Osimhen.
- Cape Verde lost 3-1 away to Mali, with goalkeeper Vozinha gifting Mali their third goal.
