The coach of the Lions of Teranga has revealed the roster of players selected for the international break in November. Senegal is set to face Sudan in the qualifiers for the 2027 AFCON. Among the list, two notable absences have raised eyebrows. Patrick Vieira has addressed these concerns.
Are Idrissa Gana Gueye and Sadio Mané being pushed out of the national team? While Gueye was part of the last international break, Mané has yet to return to the squad since Patrick Vieira took over. This time, neither player is included in the roster. What's the reason?
Patrick Vieira informed the media that the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich player has chosen to decline the call-up. The reason being, family commitments. “Sadio has personally opted out of the call-up because he is expecting a joyous addition to his family. He preferred to stay with his family to fully experience this moment with them,” reports Sene News. The outlet mentions the possibility of the Al Nassr player welcoming a new child.
Regarding Idrissa Gana Gueye, the coach acknowledges that he favored other players. Likely younger ones? Could Patrick Vieira have been dissatisfied with the midfielder’s performance during the October break? Not necessarily, Vieira emphasizes. He believes that the former PSG player could soon reclaim his place in the national team. “Idrissa is a national team player. His absence has nothing to do with Jakobs and Mendy (Édouard) deciding to retire from international football. As a coach, I have choices to make, but this does not jeopardize Idrissa’s future selection,” he stated.
