Senegal draw in Vieira debut, Nigeria survive scare as Cape Verde crash

On Friday, Patrick Vieira made his debut as Senegal's coach by guiding them to a 1-1 draw against Mozambique in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. Meanwhile, Nigeria narrowly escaped a scare to win 2-1 against Madagascar. Cape Verde suffered a 3-1 defeat away to Mali. Egypt drew 0-0 with Angola at home, while Morocco and Algeria won convincingly against Gabon and Zambia, respectively.

Senegal's Nicolas Jackson put his team ahead in Maputo after just 32 minutes, capitalizing on a close-range tap from a low cross. However, Geny Catamo's goal from outside the box in first-half added time saw Mozambique level the score. Despite having ample possession, Senegal could not break through Mozambique's well-structured defense.

Patrick Vieira, a former France star and 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship winner, has had mixed success as a coach, including a stint at Genoa in Serie A. The Senegal team he inherited was in transition after being stripped of the AFCON title and underperforming at the World Cup. Senegal's recent form included losing to France, Norway, and Belgium, but they overcame these setbacks with a 1-0 extra-time win against Morocco, only for CAF to later award Morocco a 3-0 victory. An appeal against the decision will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on October 8.

Nigeria, who were shock non-qualifiers for the past two World Cups, fell behind to Madagascar through Ehsan Kari in Uyo. However, two debutants - George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor - rescued the match with an equalizer and a late winner, respectively. Cape Verde, known for their impressive performances against Spain and Argentina in recent years, were held to a 3-1 defeat away to Mali. Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha gifted Mali their third goal, allowing Dorgeles Nene to score the decisive goal in the match.