Has he retired from international football? Vieira springs a surprise by leaving Mané out of the Senegal squad

Patrick Vieira has begun his tenure at the helm of Senegal's coaching staff with a new squad list that featured several changes. The most notable? The absence of captain Sadio Mane, the Al-Nassr star, from the upcoming camp.

Successor to Pape Thiaw with the Lions of Teranga, Vieira named his first squad ahead of two fixtures against Mozambique and Ethiopia in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, before a friendly against Comoros in Marseille.

The Frenchman inherits a squad smarting from a disappointing World Cup. Senegal went out in the round of 16 to Belgium, losing 3-2. Now Vieira starts a new phase, hoping to rebuild the national team while keeping a number of its key pillars.

Mane absent, Gueye returns

Mane's name is missing, while several senior figures kept their places, foremost among them Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gana Gueye.

Vieira also recalled Pape Gueye, who had announced a temporary retirement from the national team after the World Cup for as long as the previous coaching staff remained in charge.

Between the posts, Nice goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf leads the new options to fill the first-choice role after Edouard Mendy's retirement from international football.

As for Mane's absence, the Senegalese star has never officially announced his international retirement. A fake message spread after the World Cup claiming he had walked away, and several media outlets ran with it as genuine.

Vieira is expected to clarify the decision to leave the former national team captain out of his squad.

Malang Sarr appears for the first time

Another surprise came in the shape of Malang Sarr, called up for the first time in his career with the Senegalese national team.

The former Newcastle defender joins a group of names playing in the European leagues, among them Nobel Mendy of Hull City, Sadibou Sane of Monaco, and Arouna Sangante, alongside Iliman Ndiaye, Lamine Camara and Ibrahima Mbaye.

Rennes player Ismaila Soumare also made the cut, a call that may raise eyebrows given the fierce competition for the front-line positions.

Left out of the upcoming camp were Pape Demba Diop and Baty Cisse.

Senegal's full squad

Goalkeepers: Yehvann Diouf, Mory Diaw, Ngagne Dembele Thiam, Mamour Ndiaye.

Defence: Kalidou Koulibaly, Nobel Mendy, Malang Sarr, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Moussa Niakhate, Mamadou Sarr, Sadibou Sane, Arouna Sangante, Lamine Sy.

Midfield: Idrissa Gana Gueye, Pape Alassane Gueye, Lamine Camara, Rassoul Ndiaye, Bara Saboukou Ndiaye, Pape Matar Sarr.

Attack: Ibrahima Mbaye, Iliman Ndiaye, Ismaila Sarr, Abdallah Sima, Assane Diao, Nicolas Jackson, Boulaye Dia, Issa Soumare, Mamadou Diakhon, Pape Moussa Fall.

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