Senegal edge past Ethiopia but Mendy warns of lack of attacking connection

Senegal revived their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying campaign with a 1-0 victory over Ethiopia on Tuesday, but the reigning African champions were made to work hard for the result in Group J.

Ibrahim Mbaye’s goal in the 11th minute proved enough to secure the points, although Senegal were unable to turn their 61% possession into a more convincing performance. Ethiopia threatened to equalise and came close to catching their opponents out, with goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf’s alertness proving decisive.

The result leaves Senegal level on four points with Mozambique at the top of Group J. Mozambique moved to four points after a comprehensive 4-1 home win over Sudan.

Mbaye was the standout performer, receiving the highest rating of the match at 8.4 out of 10. Diouf was also praised for his contribution and earned a score of 7.3 after helping Senegal preserve their narrow advantage.

The match was reviewed by Bernard Mendy, general manager of Teranga Sporting Club and a former Paris Saint-Germain player, in an exclusive interview with Africafoot.

Senegal’s performance came with several key players unavailable, including Sadio Mane, Iliman Ndiaye, Krepin Diatta and Edouard Mendy. The team managed by Patrick Vieira has yet to reproduce the dynamism it showed during the most recent Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The absence of those experienced players has also affected the team’s balance, with several combinations still bedding in. The defensive partnerships involving Moussa Niakhate and Sadibou Sane, as well as Malang Sarr, have not yet operated as effectively as hoped.

Assane, Sima, Niakhate and Gana were identified among the less prominent performers in a game where Senegal’s control of possession did not always translate into authority.

Senegal’s victory nevertheless keeps them firmly in contention at the early stage of the qualification campaign. Their slim success in Ethiopia ended a difficult evening with three points, but the performance highlighted the work still required for Vieira’s side to regain the fluency and cohesion associated with the reigning African champions.