Senegal: Vieira leaves out Mané and Gana Gueye for Sudan double header

Patrick Vieira has made his choices for the second international window of his reign. On Thursday 5 November, at the King Fahd Palace in Dakar, the Senegal coach named 25 players for the double header against Sudan on 12 and 16 November in 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. The squad leans heavily on youth. It also confirms that Sadio Mané and Idrissa Gana Gueye are no longer automatic picks for the Lions of Teranga.

No Mané or Gana Gueye, three first call-ups

Idrissa Gana Gueye's omission is the most striking. The Everton midfielder, a pillar of the national team for years, has been left out for the first time since Vieira took over. According to Le Soleil, the coach described it as a football decision at his press conference. Sadio Mané misses a second camp in a row. The Senegalese daily explains that the Al-Nassr forward chose to stay with his family after a happy event at home.

Three players get their first senior call-up: Strasbourg midfielder Pape Demba Diop, Al-Diriyah forward Clayton Diandy and Cagliari forward Paul Mendy. Krépin Diatta and Dion Lopy return after missing the previous windows.

Several absences are down to injuries. Ismaïla Sarr, Assane Diao, Abdallah Sima and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye are all hurt. Pape Moussa Fall is absent following the death of his father. Finally, Ngagne Demba Thiam, Arouna Sanganté, Rassoul Ndiaye and Mamadou Diakhon, all part of the September squad, have not been kept on.

Here is the full squad:

• Goalkeepers: Yehvann Diouf, Mory Diaw, Mamour Ndiaye.
• Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly (captain), Moussa Niakhaté, Malang Sarr, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Mamadou Sarr, Nobel Mendy, Sadibou Sané, Krépin Diatta, Lamine Sy.
• Midfielders: Pape Gueye, Pape Demba Diop, Lamine Camara, Pape Matar Sarr, Dion Lopy.
• Forwards: Nicolas Jackson, Ibrahim Mbaye, Boulaye Dia, Iliman Ndiaye, Pathé Mboup, Clayton Diandy, Paul Mendy, Issa Soumaré.

There are eight forwards and only five midfielders. That gives Vieira plenty of options out wide, with quick players such as Ibrahim Mbaye and Iliman Ndiaye, and a Jackson and Dia pairing through the middle.

A hesitant start to his tenure

Vieira was appointed by the Senegalese Football Federation on 18 August. Born in Dakar and a 1998 World Cup winner with France, the former Nice, Crystal Palace, Strasbourg and Genoa coach is managing a national team for the first time. He replaced Pape Thiaw, who was sacked in July after Senegal went out of the 2026 World Cup in the round of 32. On 1 July in Seattle, the Lions led Belgium 2-0 through Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr before losing 3-2 after extra time.

The new staff's first games were laboured. On 25 September in Maputo, Senegal were held 1-1 by Mozambique. Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring and Geny Catamo equalised. Four days later in Bahir Dar, the Lions beat Ethiopia 1-0 thanks to an 11th-minute strike from Ibrahim Mbaye, set up by Jackson. The win was ground out rather than convincing: 61% possession, only three shots on target and a finish in which Ethiopia came close to equalising several times.