Vieira Overhauls Senegal with 12 New Players in Two Months

Patrick Vieira has embarked on a rapid and profound overhaul of the Senegal squad since his appointment in September: in just two months at the helm of the Lions of Teranga, the former midfielder has already called up 12 players for the first time in the national team.

The latest to join this list is Massiré Sylla, defender at Union Saint-Gilloise (21 years old, 1.96 m), called up as a replacement for Mamadou Sarr. Before him, as early as September, Ngagne Demba Thiam (Monza), Mamour Ndiaye (Saint-Étienne), Malang Sarr (Neom), Sadibou Sané (Monaco), Arouna Sanganté (Seville), Lamine Sy (Auxerre), Issa Soumaré (Rennes) and Pape Moussa Fall (Metz) received their first call-up. In November, Pathé Mboup (Brest), Clayton Diandy (Al-Diriyah) and Paul Mendy (Cagliari) completed this group of new faces.

This open-door policy is reminiscent of other ongoing projects in international football: in Germany, Jürgen Klopp has also cast a wide net since taking charge of the Mannschaft, calling up nearly 50 different players to shape the contours of his future team.

On the results front, Vieira’s early days at the helm of Senegal remain mixed: a draw in Mozambique (1-1), a narrow victory in Ethiopia (0-1) and a friendly win against Comoros (1-0) at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. The sporting record will need to improve quickly, as Senegal faces Sudan twice in November as part of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers — a double-header that will serve as the first real test for the manager’s new recruits.