Vieira outlines Senegal project with youth and attacking ambition

Patrick Vieira says his Senegal side will combine greater intensity and attacking intent with the foundations already established by the national team, rather than undergo a complete overhaul.

The new manager was officially presented on Friday, one month after being appointed by the Federation Senegalaise de Football (FSF). He also announced his first squad as coach of the Lions of Teranga.

The 50-year-old’s tenure will begin with three fixtures in quick succession. Senegal face Mozambique and Ethiopia on 25 and 29 September respectively in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, before meeting Comoros in a friendly in Marseille on 4 October.

The squad contains eight newcomers, while Sadio Mane and eight players who featured at the World Cup have been left out.

Vieira, who previously managed Genoa, offered an early indication of the football he wants his team to play. His intention is not to discard everything that has gone before, but to build on the squad’s existing strengths while remaining true to Senegal’s established identity.

Aggression, intensity, sacrifice and solidarity will be central to that approach. Those principles reflect the qualities associated with Vieira’s own career as a defensive midfielder at Arsenal, with the former France international expecting his players to show the same commitment collectively.

Under Vieira, Senegal are expected to adopt a more progressive style and look to take games forward. The Dakar-born coach wants to make the most of the ability available to him, rather than impose a system that fails to suit his players.

He has a strong pool from which to work, with quality across every position and particular depth in midfield and attack. That competition for places should also allow the younger generation to take on greater responsibility as Senegal prepare for the 2030 World Cup.

Vieira has been given a four-year contract and faces clear targets during his tenure. Senegal must reach at least the final of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and qualify for the 2030 World Cup.

His first selection marks the opening stage of that project. The absence of several established players, alongside the inclusion of eight new faces, gives Vieira an early opportunity to assess the depth of the squad while maintaining the principles he believes have made Senegal competitive.