Senegal (the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions) were held to a 1-1 draw by Mozambique in Maputo in their opening CAN 2027 qualifier, marking a mixed debut for new head coach Patrick Vieira. Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring in the 30th minute following a strong first-half display, but Mozambique's Geny Catamo, who plays for Sporting Lisbon, equalised with a strike from the edge of the area from a quickly taken corner in first-half stoppage time. Senegal struggled to regain their momentum after the break and will look to bounce back when they face Ethiopia on 29 September.