It is an understatement to say that the Lions of Teranga have done honor to Africa by having a Brazil, certainly on a tour of preparation for the qualifications for the next World Cup in the South American zone, but led by the exceptional Vinicius. The African champions have simply imitated Morocco (winner 2 goals to 1 in Tangier, last March) of Walid Regragui by winning 4 goals to 2 in a friendly match in Lisbon. Without titular coach and orphan of Neymar, still injured, Brazil of Vinicius Júnior suffered the assaults of the proteges of Aliou Cissé, of which Sadio Mané, author of a double, was not the least.
If the Real Madrid striker was behind the opener, placing a millimeter cross on the head of Lucas Paqueta (10th, 1-0), Sadio Mané stole the show by signing a double . Still in the first period, Mouhamadou Habib Diallo took advantage of a poorly cleared ball by the Brazilian defense to restore equality with a powerful recovery from the left (22nd, 1-1). Then Mané entered the scene by provoking an own goal from Marquinhos (52nd, 2-1), and scoring himself a superb goal with a curled shot in the top corner (55th, 3-1), before convert a penalty in added time (90 6, 4-2). Before that, Marquinhos had tried to redeem himself by temporarily reducing the gap with a somewhat lucky goal from a corner (59th, 3-2). Senegal, winner of CAN-2023, was able to rely on Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, midfielder Pape Gueye (Sevilla FC) and, of course, Bayern Munich striker Sadio Mané. Brazil remained on an easy victory against weak Guinea (4-1) on Saturday in Barcelona, ??after a surprise defeat (2-1) against Morocco in Tangier in March.
At the José-Alvalade stadium, it was still the U20 coach Ramon Menezes who officiated on the bench in place of Tite, thanked after the bankruptcy of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (elimination in the quarters against Croatia). Brazil is indeed still without a coach since the departure of Tite at the end of the World Cup, Ramon Menezes acting as interim. So Brazilian FA president Ednaldo Rodrigues made Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti his ‘plan A’, but the Italian insisted he wanted to stay at Real Madrid until the end. end of his contract, in June 2024.
For this match against Senegal, the Seleçao had some of its safe bets, such as Ederson as goalkeeper or Marquinhos as defense boss. But the midfielder Casemiro, sidelined by a last-minute injury, had to give up his place, and the midfield was entrusted to Lucas Paqueta, associated with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, who both play for Newcastle. In attack, Richarlison and Vinicius were aligned with the surprise Malcom, called at the expense of Rodrygo, also injured.
