Senegal draw in Vieira debut, Nigeria survive scare, but Cape Verde crash

Senegal gully with Mozambique, and Nigeria borderline past Madagascar, but Cape Verde beaten by Mali successful AFCON qualifying openers.

Former France prima Patrick Vieira debuted arsenic Senegal manager by drafting 1-1 successful Mozambique, and Nigeria survived a scare to borderline Madagascar 2-1 successful Africa Cup of Nations qualifying connected Friday.

Cape Verde, admired for holding eventual 2026 World Cup winners Spain and taking Argentina to other clip earlier bowing out, crashed 3-1 distant to Mali.

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Egypt were held 0-0 astatine location by Angola portion Morocco and Algeria won comfortably against Gabon and Zambia respectively.

Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson enactment arguable 2026 AFCON runners-up Senegal up aft 32 minutes with a close-range pat disconnected a debased cross.

But Geny Catamo from Portuguese giants Sporting levelled successful first-half added time, firing a changeable from extracurricular the container done a crowded goalmouth into the acold country of the net.

Senegal had plentifulness of second-half possession successful Maputo, but could not find a mode past a well-organised Mozambican defence.

Originally scheduled for Senegal, the matchday 1 fixture successful Group J was moved to Maputo arsenic nary stadium successful the West African federation presently meets planetary standards.

Vieira, 50, was a midfielder successful the French teams that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship, and besides starred for Arsenal.

But helium has had little occurrence arsenic a manager with clubs successful the United States, France, England and Italy. He near Genoa past November with the nine winless and bottommost of Serie A.

Dakar-born Vieira has inherited from sacked Pape Thiaw a Senegal squad successful modulation during a melodramatic twelvemonth successful which they were stripped of the AFCON rubric and flopped astatine the World Cup.

The Teranga Lions temporarily walked disconnected the transportation to protestation a punishment awarded successful the AFCON last to hosts Morocco, who missed the footwear erstwhile Senegal returned.

Senegal won 1-0 aft other clip lone for the African confederation CAF to aboriginal grant Morocco a 3-0 victory.

An entreaty by the West Africans against the determination volition beryllium heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport connected October 8.

After losing to France and Norway astatine the World Cup, Senegal hammered Iraq to compression into the circular of 32, wherever they fell to Belgium aft surrendering a two-goal lead.

Against Mozambique, Senegal were without precocious retired goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and injured striker Sadio Mane. Fellow stalwarts Kalilou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye were connected the bench.

Nigeria, daze non-qualifiers for the past 2 World Cups, fell down astatine location to Madagascar erstwhile Ehsan Kari scored aft 16 minutes successful Uyo.

A Super Eagles broadside lacking injured prima striker Victor Osimhen were past rescued by 2 planetary debutants.

Saudi Arabia-based George Ilenikhena, 20, burst done to equalise successful first-half added clip and substitute Moses Usor from Austrian champions LASK snatched the 65th-minute winner.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, a prima astatine the World Cup, talented Mali their 3rd extremity successful the decision earlier a wildly excited assemblage of 50,000 successful Bamako.

He dashed extracurricular his country to power the shot with his chest, past mislaid possession and Dorgeles Nene struck the escaped shot into an unguarded net.

Mali, arguably the strongest shot federation ne'er to triumph the AFCON, dominated from commencement to decorativeness and led wrong 5 minutes done Martial Tia.

Cape Verde levelled erstwhile a Sidny Cabral free-kick was deflected into the net. Mali regained the pb arsenic half-time approached done Nene.