Comoros 0-1 Senegal: Iliman Ndiaye settles friendly at Stade Velodrome

Senegal beat Comoros 1-0 in a friendly at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome, with Iliman Ndiaye scoring the only goal after five minutes.

The forward, who has strong ties to Olympique de Marseille, struck early on his return to his former club’s home ground. Senegal had to withstand several quick Comoros counter-attacks but defended their lead to complete the international break with a second successive victory.

The result was the same as Senegal’s 1-0 win against Ethiopia five days earlier. Patrick Vieira’s side had enough opportunities to extend their advantage, although Comoros threatened at times in transition.

Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye were later replaced by Malang Sarr and Pape Moussa Fall as Senegal managed possession during the closing stages. The visitors continued to press for a second goal, with Comoros goalkeeper Anzimati denying several chances.

A free-kick from Pape Gueye was struck with power but repelled by Anzimati, before the Comoros defence cleared the danger. Boulaye Dia also tested the goalkeeper after being set up by Gueye, but his effort was comfortably held.

Another opportunity fell to a Senegal forward after a pass from the left, but the initial effort was saved by Anzimati and the follow-up was badly mishit. A further chance to create a decisive second goal was missed when a Manchester City player failed to connect cleanly in front of goal.

Mory Diaw was also required to make a two-handed save as Comoros attempted to respond, while Senegal’s defence dealt with the remaining pressure. Kalidou Koulibaly was particularly assured on his return to the starting line-up.

The match was significant for Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr, who had been suspended by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following incidents in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final. Neither player had been available for Senegal’s opening two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches under Vieira.

Ndiaye started in Marseille, but Ismaila Sarr was ultimately ruled out. Moussa Niakhate was also unavailable after leaving the squad with an injury. The Olympique Lyonnais defender, who had started and captained Senegal in their previous two matches, returned to his club to continue treatment.

The friendly was Vieira’s third game in charge. Senegal began his tenure with a 1-1 draw in Mozambique before beating Ethiopia 1-0 in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Vieira had used a back four and then a three-man central defence in those matches, and the game against Comoros gave him another opportunity to assess his tactical approach and the identity of his team.

Comoros, backed by a sizeable community in Marseille, entered the match after a 3-1 defeat by Cameroon and a 1-0 victory over Namibia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.