Senegal - Comoros: Iliman Ndiaye strikes in the 5th minute, the Lions win 1-0 at the Vélodrome

Senegal defeated the Comoros 1-0 in a friendly match on October 4, 2026, at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. Iliman Ndiaye scored the only goal of the match in the 5th minute, following a pass from Ibrahim Mbaye, according to Dakar92.

The Lions of Teranga then controlled the game from start to finish without ever extending their lead. Wiwsport describes a team that was "largely superior," but chances came and went without being converted: a lack of efficiency in front of goal remains the main criticism leveled at the 2021 African champions.

An early goal, then control

The script was written early on. Set up by Mbaye, Iliman Ndiaye took advantage of a Comorian defense that was still settling in to open the scoring. Facing organized and disciplined Coelacanths, the Senegalese then monopolized the ball and multiplied sequences in the final third, but were thwarted by their own inaccuracy.

For Patrick Vieira, who arrived on the Senegalese bench this season, the match served primarily as a laboratory. After a mixed start, the coach is looking for chemistry and certainty within a group that is undergoing a major rebuild.

An improving international window

This success concludes an uneven international break. Senegal was first held to a 1-1 draw by Mozambique on September 25, 2026, in Vieira's first match in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, before going on to win 1-0 in Ethiopia. The victory in Marseille, even if narrow, allows them to end the series on a positive note, notes Senego.

For the Comoros, beaten by only a single goal by one of the continent's benchmarks, the meeting at the Vélodrome is not a humiliation. The archipelago continues to test itself against major African nations and to build, patiently, a legitimacy earned match after match.

The next steps will take place on the qualifying pitch, where Senegal must convert this dominance into goals. The talent is there: Iliman Ndiaye, Ibrahim Mbaye, and the new generation show that there is no shortage of options. What remains is to find the precision in the box, the kind that turns good matches into great nights.