Vieira: Senegal On Right Track Ahead Of Sudan Double-header

Vieira calls for patience and control as Senegal target Sudan win

After a strong start to their qualifying campaign, Senegal return to Dakar with their eyes on another three points, but Patrick Vieira has warned his players that only control, tempo and clinical finishing will be enough to see off a stubborn Sudan side.

‎“No easy matches” says Vieira demands intensity as Senegal host Sudan...

Senegal head coach Patrick Vieira has outlined how his side will approach their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan on Thursday.

The Lions of Teranga host Sudan at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar in their third match of the Group J qualifying campaign.

Vieira's team are chasing a second win in the group, after opening with a 1-1 draw against Mozambique before edging Ethiopia 1-0 under the former Arsenal captain.

Meanwhile, Sudan, coached by Ghanaian Kwesi Appiah, have picked up three points from their opening two matches.

The Falcons of Jediane kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win over Ethiopia on matchday one, before suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat away to Mozambique.

Ahead of the double-header against Sudan, Vieira will be without key players Krepin Diatta and Mamadou Sarr, who both withdrew from the squad through injury.

📸 Les Lions au complet à l’entraînement du jour, à deux jours de la rencontre face au Soudan. #CAN2027Q https://t.co/oLsa1NWkmP

— Equipe du Sénégal (@GaindeYi) November 10, 2026

'We must respect every opponent'

“There won’t be any special preparation in that regard. What’s really important for us is to prepare for this match as we did against Mozambique and Ethiopia. There are no easy matches,” Vieira told reporters ahead of the first leg, as quoted by Wiw Sport.

“We’re going to approach this game with a lot of humility and seriousness. From there, the important thing for us is to improve from match to match.

“My objective, of course, is to win this match. It’s an important match in front of our home crowd. It will be important for us to put on a very good performance and win.

“To do that, we need to play a cohesive game and be very good as a team in order to deliver a great performance.”

The former Crystal Palace boss also underlined the need for his players to make the most of the chances they create.

"It’s important for me that the players understand what I’m asking of them," Vieira continued. "I’m asking them to play with intensity, to bring speed and a lot of rhythm to our passing of the ball.”

“The Senegal of today is not the same as the one of 10 years ago. Senegal is now among the best nations in Africa and the world.”

Vieira added: “The public no longer simply expects us to win, but to win convincingly. But this expectation doesn’t scare me at all, because we have talented players, players with quality who play for big clubs.

“My role is then to implement a playing style that allows these players to showcase their talent.”

Vieira happy with direction of travel

Vieira added: “The Senegalese team needs to control the game and possession. We need to dictate the tempo of the match.

“I’m quite satisfied with what I’ve seen so far. We’re on the right track. Now, what we need to do is take the next step since the last training camp, both in terms of teamwork, with and without the ball.”

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda the three host nations are already guaranteed a place at the 2027 AFCON without needing to qualify.

Where a group contains a host nation, only the highest-ranked team other than the host will go through, whereas the top two teams will progress from all the remaining groups.

The road to the finals will end in March 2027, with matchdays five and six deciding who takes the last remaining places at Africa’s biggest football showpiece.