Ethiopia vs Senegal at 1 p.m.: facing the vengeful Walias, the Lions condemned to win

Hanging (1-1) last Friday in Mozambique for their entry into the competition, the Lions travel to Ethiopia tomorrow with the obligation to achieve the first victory of the Patrick Vieira era. They will face Walias stung by their defeat against Sudan (0-1) and who dream of hanging the African champion in their hunt. Senegal no longer has room for error.

Held in check in Maputo for Patrick Vieira’s first official match, the Lions challenge Ethiopia this Tuesday, September 29, at 1 p.m. GMT, at the Bahir Dar stadium, for the 2nd day of Group J. Friday, Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring before Geny Catamo equalized in added time of the first period. A frustrating draw given the Senegalese domination, which above all allowed Sudan, winner of Ethiopia, to take the lead alone. The calculation is simple. At the same time, Mozambique receives Sudan. In the event of another setback for the Lions and Sudanese success, the gap could already reach five points. A victory, on the other hand, would put Senegal back in the race for first place. Ethiopia does not intend to play the role of stooge. Picked at the end of the match by a goal from Mohamed Eisa, the Walias approach this meeting with the rage of those who have nothing more to lose: a second defeat would already compromise their qualification.

A founding member of Caf and winner of the Can in 1962, Ethiopia has not tasted the heights of African football for decades. Bringing down the Lions, crowned on the field in Rabat last January, in front of their home crowd would give an entire nation an exploit to tell and would relaunch a poorly started campaign. Supported by their audience, the Walias will play this match like a final. Facing the technically superior Senegalese, they should rely on a compact block, high density in the middle and rapid transitions. The Maputo scenario, where the Lions dominated without killing the match, is a warning that Patrick Vieira will inevitably have heeded. The pitfalls of moving Context adds to the difficulty.

The Lions had only four days to recover and make the long journey from Maputo to Bahir Dar, via Addis Ababa. The altitude, around 1,800 meters, and a kick-off in the middle of the afternoon will weigh on the organizations, especially at the end of the match. For the 1998 world champion, this trip serves as a test. Deprived of Sadio Mané and Édouard Mendy, who has turned the international page, the new coach is still looking for his bearings. He will need a team that is sharper in finishing and more rigorous in managing slow times. A victory would truly launch his mandate; a new misstep would create doubt before the November window. Especially since the file for the Can 2025 final remains open: the Court of Arbitration for Sport must examine the Senegalese appeal on October 8. The Lions therefore also have a status to defend on the field.

Elsewhere on the continent

Senegal is not the only one under pressure. Hanging on by Angola (0-0), the Pharaohs of Egypt, seven-time African champions, must win on Tuesday in South Sudan (1 p.m., group B). Monday, four matches open the day: Zimbabwe-DR Congo and Equatorial Guinea-Sierra Leone (4 p.m., group E), Central African Republic-Burkina Faso (4 p.m., group F), where the Stallions are still seeking their first success, and Botswana-Tunisia (7 p.m., group H). Tuesday, the leaders want to continue. Winner of Gabon (2-0), Morocco goes to Lesotho (1 p.m.), while Niger, co-leader of group A, hosts Gabon (7 p.m.). Algeria, which beat Zambia (3-1), goes to Burundi (1 p.m., group I).

In group C, Hervé Renard’s Ivory Coast, victorious over Ghana (2-0), travels to Somalia (7 p.m.), after a Ghana-Gambia (4 p.m.) where the Black Stars no longer have room for error. The poster is played out in Bissau, where Guinea-Bissau, brilliant in Tanzania (2-0), welcomes Nigeria (4 p.m., group L). In group K, Mali, carried by a double from Dorgeles against Cape Verde (3-1), goes to Liberia (7 p.m.). Also on the program: Zambia-Togo, Madagascar-Tanzania, Cape Verde-Rwanda, Benin-Mauritania, Comoros-Namibia, Congo-Cameroon and Uganda-Libya. In Group D, Eritrea hosts South Africa on Wednesday (4 p.m.), before Guinea-Kenya on Thursday. Between those who want to confirm and those who must already react, this second day could begin to separate the contenders from the others. For Senegal, the path first goes through Bahir Dar.

By Samba Oumar FALL