Preview: Mozambique vs. Senegal - prediction, team news, lineups

Senegal begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Mozambique on Friday, with Patrick Vieira taking charge of the Lions of Teranga for the first time in a competitive match.

The game was originally scheduled to take place in Dakar but has been moved to the Estadio Nacional do Zimpeto in Maputo after the two federations agreed to switch the fixture, with Senegal's Stade Abdoulaye Wade unavailable.

Match preview

The opening Group J fixture comes at the start of a new cycle for Senegal, with Vieira replacing Pape Thiaw after the Lions were eliminated by Belgium in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup.

Senegal lost their opening two group matches against France and Norway before beating Iraq 5-0, but a 3-2 defeat by Belgium after extra time ended their campaign in the first knockout round.

Thiaw was subsequently dismissed by the Senegalese Football Federation following the World Cup, bringing an end to his tenure after he had guided the Lions to qualification for the tournament and the 2025 AFCON title.

Vieira has immediately made several changes to his squad, although the new coach has retained a strong core of experienced players, with Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Pape Matar Sarr remaining, while Lamine Camara, Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye and Nicolas Jackson are among the players expected to carry greater attacking responsibility.

The biggest headline is the absence of Sadio Mane, with the Al-Nassr forward left out because of what Vieira described as a physical issue rather than retirement, with the new coach indicating that he could return for the next international window.

The managerial change comes after a period of strong competitive results for Senegal, who qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations unbeaten with five wins and one draw before also reaching the 2026 World Cup.

They also completed their 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign with 10 goals scored and just one conceded, while they have an ongoing unbeaten run of 34 matches in AFCON qualifiers, leaving Vieira with a huge standard to maintain.

This will be Vieira's first foray into international management after previously managing club sides including Crystal Palace, Nice and most recently Genoa, and the former Arsenal midfielder will face significant expectations as he begins his tenure, but he inherits a squad with considerable international experience.

Mozambique, meanwhile, enter this campaign with considerably more recent tournament experience than their reputation might suggest.

The Mambas reached the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, securing their maiden AFCON finals victory by beating Gabon 3-2 in the group stage before Nigeria ended their run with a 4-0 victory in the last 16.

However, they head into this clash on a four-match losing streak, having lost their final two AFCON group matches against Cameroon and Nigeria before suffering defeats by Oman (4-1) and Indonesia (1-0) in June friendlies.

Despite having home advantage for this clash, the Mambas face a difficult task against a Senegal side that has dominated the historical head-to-head record.

The two nations have met nine times, with Senegal winning seven and drawing two, while Mozambique have never beaten them and have lost the six of the last seven encounters in 90 minutes, losing the other one after penalties.

Mozambique form (all competitions):

Senegal form (all competitions):

Team News

Senegal have named a 29-man squad for the opening qualifiers, with Edouard Mendy absent after announcing his retirement from international football earlier this month, leaving Yehvann Diouf as the leading contender to take over as the team's first-choice goalkeeper.

Vieira has also brought several new faces into the squad, with Malang Sarr, Lamine Sy and Sadibou Sane among those receiving opportunities under the new coach, while goalkeepers Ngagne Demba Thiam and Mamour Ndiaye have also been included.

There are a couple of other notable omissions, with Krepin Diatta left out while he resolves his club situation, while Antoine Mendy and Habib Diarra are absent through injury.

That leaves Vieira with a mixture of established international players and younger options as he begins the process of reshaping the squad.

Meanwhile, Mozambique's 24-man squad includes Geny Catamo, Edmilson Dove, Bruno Langa, Ricardo Guimaraes, Manuel Kambala, Alfonso Amade and Faizal Bangal.

The squad also contains first-time senior selections Bruno Wilson, Candido Mathe and Jose Guirrugo, while experienced defenders such as Dove and Langa provide stability at the back and Amade and Kambala offer further midfield options.

Mozambique possible starting lineup:

Siluane; Jone, Dove, Langa, Nhacussa; Catamo, Guimaraes, Kambala, Amade; Bangal, Lamborino

Senegal possible starting lineup:

Y. Diouf; Mendy, Koulibaly, Niakhate, M. Diouf; Gueye, Camara, P.M Sarr; Mbaye, Jackson, I. Sarr

We say: Mozambique 0-2 Senegal

Mozambique will have the backing of their home crowd, but Senegal still have considerably greater depth across the pitch and have retained enough experienced players to handle the change of coach and the absence of Mane.

The visitors should control more of the ball and create the clearer chances, with the quality available to Vieira giving Senegal enough to begin the new era with a victory.