Senegal coach Patrick Vieira don warn say Sudan no be easy opponent as Senegal prepare to host Sudan for matchday three of di 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Thursday, 12 November 2026. Di match go hold at Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor for Dakar, with kickoff set for 19:00 GMT.
Senegal dey chase second win for Group J after dem draw 1-1 with Mozambique for dia opener and beat Ethiopia 1-0. Sudan, under coach Kwesi Appiah, get three points from two games. Dem beat Ethiopia 1-0 through Mohamed Eisa 86th-minute winner, before losing 4-1 to Mozambique away. Senegal and Mozambique dey share top spot, while Sudan dey one point behind.
Vieira tell reporters say e no dey plan any special preparation for Sudan. E talk say no easy match dey, and di important thing na to prepare like dem do against Mozambique and Ethiopia. According to am, Senegal go approach di game with humility and seriousness, and di target na to improve from match to match.
Di former Crystal Palace manager make clear say e want win in front of home crowd. E say di team need play cohesive game, show intensity, bring speed and rhythm to passing, and control possession. Vieira add say Senegal must convert di chances dem create and be more aggressive inside di opposition penalty area.
Senegal go miss Krépin Diatta and Mamadou Sarr after di two players pull out of di squad due injury. Sadio Mané and Idrissa Gana Gueye no dey di squad, while Ismaïla Sarr, Assane Diao and Abdallah Sima no available due medical reasons. Arouna Sanganté don return to di squad, and Massiré Sylla get first call-up.
Vieira still talk say di Senegal of today no be di same as 10 years ago. E say Senegal now dey among best nations for Africa and world, and di public no longer just expect win but convincing win. E insist say di expectation no dey scare am because di squad get talented players wey dey play for big clubs. Him job, e talk, na to set playing style wey go allow dem show their talent.
For Sudan side, coach Kwesi Appiah go need fix di gaps around centre-backs wey Mozambique expose. Sudan squad get Mohamed Eisa, Abubakr Eisa and Aamir Abdallah. Aamir Abdallah score against Senegal at di last AFCON, and e fit run into space behind Senegal full-backs. Mohamed Eisa fit lead di line again.
History dey favour Senegal: dem win di last two competitive meetings with Sudan 2-0 for di World Cup qualifier in September 2025 and 3-1 for di last 16 of di Africa Cup of Nations. But meetings between di two sides rarely produce goals at both ends. Both teams score in only two of dia last six meetings, and Sudan manage just one goal across four meetings in 2025. Senegal also keep 17 clean sheets at di Africa Cup of Nations since 2017, more than any other team.
