Senegal head coach Patrick Vieira has revealed why captain and star forward Sadio Mane will miss the Teranga Lions' upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan.

The Al-Nassr forward was named in the squad for the November double-header but will not feature after asking permission to remain with his family ahead of an expected new addition.

Vieira confirmed that he personally spoke with the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich attacker, who expressed his desire to stay at home during this important family moment.

“I spoke to Sadio on the phone. He received the call-up. However, Sadio wanted to stay with his family because he is expecting a new addition to the family. His wish was to remain close to his family, and I respected his decision,” Vieira explained.

Mane's absence will be a major talking point, given his importance to Senegal and his role in guiding the country to its historic 2021 AFCON triumph.

Meanwhile, Vieira has named a youthful squad for the two encounters, with experienced midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye also missing from the selection.

The Teranga Lions will face Sudan on November 12 and 16 in Matchdays 3 and 4 of the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign as Vieira continues to reshape the squad.

Several new faces have earned opportunities, including Pathé Mboup, Pape Demba Diop, Clayton Diandy and Paul Mendy, while Krépin Diatta and Dion Lopy return to the national team.

Senegal squad for Sudan

Goalkeepers

- Yehvann Diouf (OGC Nice)
- Mory Diaw (Al-Shabab)
- Mamour Ndiaye (AS Saint-Etienne)

Defenders

- Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal)
- Moussa Niakhaté (Olympique Lyonnais)
- Malang Sarr (NEOM)
- El Hadji Malick Diouf (Brentford)
- Mamadou Sarr (Real Sociedad)
- Nobel Mendy (Hull City)
- Sadibou Sané (AS Monaco)
- Krépin Diatta (Watford)
- Lamine Sy (AJ Auxerre)

Midfielders

- Pape Gueye (Villarreal)
- Pape Demba Diop (Strasbourg)
- Lamine Camara (AS Monaco)
- Pape Matar Sarr (Juventus)
- Dion Lopy (Al-Ittihad)

Forwards

- Iliman Ndiaye (Manchester City)
- Nicolas Jackson (Aston Villa)
- Clayton Diandy (Al-Diriyah)
- Pathé Mboup (Stade Brestois)
- Boulaye Dia (Stade Rennais)
- Issa Soumaré (Stade Rennais)
- Ibrahim Mbaye (Aston Villa)
- Paul Mendy (Cagliari)