Senegal face Comoros in a friendly at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome on Sunday, 4 October, with Patrick Vieira able to continue shaping his team without the pressure of a competitive result. The match will kick off at 15:00 French time, 13:00 in Senegal and 16:00 in Comoros.
The game will be broadcast in Senegal by RTS 1.
Vieira remains unbeaten since taking charge of the Lions, but the new head coach is under pressure to show clearer progress in his side’s performances after their opening two matches.
Senegal began their latest campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Mozambique before recording a narrow 1-0 victory over Ethiopia. Those results represented a positive start for Vieira, although the team’s displays prompted reservations at home, particularly after a difficult second half in Bahir Dar.
This third match of the Vieira era gives him an opportunity to test a different Senegal side. Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr were suspended by CAF following incidents during the final of CAN 2025 and were therefore unavailable for the opening two qualifying matches against Mozambique and Ethiopia.
As Sunday’s fixture is not a CAF competition match, both attacking players are eligible and could make their first appearances under Vieira.
The coach also has further options to consider. Kalidou Koulibaly did not play a minute in either of the first two games, while Mamadou Sarr, Nobel Mendy, Rassoul Ndiaye and Mamadou Diakhon were among the other players named in the squad who have yet to feature.
Moussa Niakhate, however, will miss the match. The defender started and captained Senegal against both Mozambique and Ethiopia, but underwent an MRI scan in Marseille before Vieira released him to return to his club, Olympique Lyonnais, for treatment.
Vieira has already switched between a back four and a system featuring three central defenders. The meeting with Comoros will allow him to continue those experiments and widen his rotation before the next international window.
There is also an expectation that Senegal will begin to develop a more recognisable identity under their French coach.
Comoros arrive with a refreshed squad assembled by head coach Hubert Velud. The Coelacantes opened their CAN 2027 qualifying campaign with a 3-1 defeat by Cameroon, then responded by beating Namibia 1-0.
The friendly in Marseille will therefore provide both teams with a chance to assess their progress, while Senegal look to build on their unbeaten start and Vieira continues to evaluate his available players.
