Handed a start in Bahir Dar, the PSG academy product scored the only goal of the game against Ethiopia. Patrick Vieira finally has his first victory as Senegal coach.
It took Ibrahim Mbaye just eleven minutes to decide the game. On Tuesday, 29 September, at the Bahir Dar Stadium, Senegal beat Ethiopia 1-0 on matchday two of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers (Group J). Set up by Nicolas Jackson, the former Paris Saint-Germain winger took a clever first touch and curled his shot into the top corner.
That goal was enough for the Lions, who then had to protect their lead against an Ethiopia side that never gave up. Four days after a frustrating 1-1 draw in Mozambique, Patrick Vieira recorded his first win as Senegal coach.
Vieira impressed by his versatility
After the match, the 1998 World Cup winner made no secret of his admiration for his young match-winner. He described a versatile player who can also operate centrally thanks to his speed of execution, and who gets past his direct opponent with ease. It was a timely performance: on his first start under Vieira, Mbaye made his mark.
The coach was more measured about the overall display. He admitted that not everything had been perfect, pointing to a difficult pitch that hampered ball circulation, and regretted his side’s lack of cutting edge in some attacking situations. For this match, Vieira switched from his usual 4-3-3 to a back three.
A forward making his case
The goal carries extra weight given that Senegal are without several key attacking players. Sadio Mané is injured, while Ismaïla Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye are serving two-match suspensions handed down by CAF after the 2025 AFCON final. In that context, Mbaye grabbed his chance with both hands.
Born in Trappes in 2008, Mbaye came through every French youth team before choosing to represent Senegal. He left PSG this summer to join Aston Villa. Senegal now sit top of Group J, level on points with Mozambique.