"They will not be there": Patrick Vieira will start his reign without two key players from Senegal

Patrick Vieira will start his tenure as head coach of the Senegal national team without Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaïla Sarr, both suspended for two matches by CAF due to unsportsmanlike behavior. Their absence, a consequence of incidents during the CAN 2025 final, deprives Vieira of two important offensive players. Senegal will compete in Group J of the CAN 2027 qualifiers, with matches scheduled against Mozambique and Ethiopia.