Senegal’s match moved to Maputo: the Senegalese Football Federation provides an explanation

With no stadiums available in Dakar, Sadio Mané and his team-mates will play their opening match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on their opponents’ home ground.

Following the announcement by the Mozambican Football Federation, the Senegalese Football Federation has officially confirmed in a statement that the match between Senegal and Mozambique, as part of the matchday 1 of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, will not be played on Senegalese soil. Originally scheduled for Friday 25 September in Dakar, the match will now take place in Maputo, Mozambique, on the same date.

The federation cites two major constraints relating to the sporting infrastructure in the Senegalese capital as the reason for this change of venue. Firstly, the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, usually used by the Lions of Teranga, will not be available at that time as it will be hosting the opening ceremony of the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games. Furthermore, the pitch at the Léopold Sédar Senghor Stadium is, as things stand, not in an optimal condition to host an official match of this importance.