Lions' Den: Patrick Vieira sets the tone before facing Mozambique

For his first match in charge of the Lions, Patrick Vieira is preparing for a highly anticipated baptism of fire. On the eve of the duel against Mozambique, the coach is displaying his confidence and asserting that his squad, despite limited preparation time and the absence of Sadio Mané, is ready to take on the challenge.

“This is my first match. I am really proud and very happy to be the coach of the Senegal national team,” said Patrick Vieira, who is about to experience his first minutes on the Lions’ bench.

The French coach acknowledges, however, that the preparation time was not particularly long: "We didn't have many days to work on the pitch," he points out. Despite this constraint, Vieira believes his team has worked sufficiently to be ready both tactically and physically.

“The players are very focused and happy to be together. We worked yesterday on the field and also on video about how we want to approach this match,” he explains.

Vieira confident ahead of facing Mozambique

Facing Mozambique, the coach expects a difficult match against a team he considers well-organized. But he assures that the Lions will be ready: "We will be tactically prepared."

"Physically, the players are in very good condition. In our state of mind, we will therefore be ready to take on the challenge tomorrow," he affirmed.

For this first match, Patrick Vieira will be able to count on a group that he describes as focused and motivated, with several players eager to seize their chance.

With Sadio Mané absent, youngsters are called upon to seize their opportunity

The absence of Sadio Mané was one of the main topics addressed by the coach. Vieira was full of praise for the Senegalese striker, whom he considers "one of the greatest players" and a role model for young players: "Sadio is an exemplary player, one of the greatest players and a true role model for young players. His professionalism is also remarkable," he emphasized.

Injured, Mané was not called up for this match. Patrick Vieira hopes, however, to be able to count on him for the next international break.

Meanwhile, the coach intends to give other members of his squad a chance: "We have other players, including young talents who have a lot of quality and a real desire to perform at this level," he said.

Some of them could thus take advantage of the absence of several key players to shine. "It will be up to them to seize this opportunity and show what they are capable of," Vieira concluded.