AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Patrick Vieira sets out his expectations ahead of Senegal v Sudan

Senegal host Sudan on Thursday 12 November at the Léopold Sédar-Senghor Stadium, as part of the third matchday of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

At a press conference ahead of the match, the Teranga Lions’ manager, Patrick Vieira, spoke about his team’s plans and the keys to securing a positive result. The French manager placed particular emphasis on discipline, intensity and team cohesion.

“Our aim is, first and foremost, to regain our bearings, to be disciplined and to ensure that the players fully understand what we expect of them. We need to set a high tempo to unsettle the opposition and draw on our supporters to gain that extra energy. We’ll need to maintain a consistent level of intensity and be aggressive in the opposition’s box to give ourselves the means to score goals,” he explained.

Patrick Vieira also acknowledged Sudan’s strengths.

“I watched their last match against Senegal. They opened the scoring in the first half. They’re a team with some good qualities. But above all, it’s the spirit we show on the pitch that will make the difference. We really need to focus on our team play and put on a show for the fans.”