Patrick Vieira declines to explain Pathe Ciss omission from Senegal squad

Patrick Vieira has refused to give a reason for leaving out Pathe Ciss from his first Senegal squad since becoming the national team’s new manager.

Vieira announced his selection on Friday ahead of Senegal’s forthcoming fixtures against Mozambique and Ethiopia on 25 and 29 September in the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers. The team will then face Comoros in a friendly in Marseille on 4 October.

Ciss, a versatile midfielder who was regularly selected by Vieira’s predecessor Pape Thiaw, is one of eight Senegal players who featured at the 2026 World Cup to miss out.

The others are Abdoulaye Seck, Ismail Jakobs, Krepin Diatta, Antoine Mendy, Habib Diarra, Bamba Dieng and Sadio Mane.

The 32-year-old has won 34 caps and played the entire match when Senegal faced Belgium in the World Cup 2026 last-16 tie on 1 July. Senegal won 3-2 after extra time.

Asked about the omission of the Dakar-born midfielder, Vieira declined to explain the thinking behind his decision. Instead, the 1998 World Cup winner focused on the changes to the squad, highlighted by the inclusion of eight new players, and the importance of maintaining a balance between youth and experience.

His response left those present without a clear explanation for Ciss’s absence.

Ciss remains a regular for his club, having started all seven of Rayo’s matches so far this season.