Senegal – Ethiopia: “The new staff has only been here for five days,” recalls Idrissa Gana Gueye

Coming on in the second half to stabilize the game, Idrissa Gana Guèye brought all his experience to the midfield during Senegal's narrow victory against Ethiopia (1-0) on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. After the match, one of the most senior members of the dressing room reflected on his role with the young players, the directives of coach Patrick Vieira and the adjustment process of the new staff.

Although he was a substitute in the last two matches, the Everton midfielder remains a key player in the national team's system. For him, his impact goes far beyond his performance on the pitch.

“My role has always been the same since I joined the national team: to come, contribute, and above all, support the young players and win matches,” Gana Guèye recalled with clarity.

Vieira's instructions before coming on as a substitute

Thrown into the thick of things after the break, the Lions' vice-captain received a clear tactical mission from Patrick Vieira: to instill composure and allow the Senegalese team to better control possession of the ball.

“What the coach told me before going onto the field was just to bring a little more serenity, to keep possession of the ball a little more and to try to win this match,” the player revealed.

An instruction applied pragmatically until the end of the game, at the end of a hard-fought battle against a solid Ethiopian team.

“It wasn’t an easy match, but we showed character today. We know that in Africa, it’s never easy to travel and play away, in front of a crowd that pushes its team and that made things difficult for us,” he analyzed.

“Only five days of work”

Recalling the Senegalese public's demands regarding the content of the matches, Idrissa Gana Guèye wanted to reframe the context to call for patience towards the new coach and his assistants.

“We must not forget that the new staff has only been here for five days. We have only had five days to work together and I think we have already seen some very good things in these two matches,” the midfielder pointed out.

For the Lions' management, the key lies in the points tally and the build-up of confidence with each gathering: "Today, we are very satisfied to have taken the three points. It's important to move forward and it allows us to build confidence. So we're focusing on the positives and continuing to work," he concluded.