Senegal’s ahead Sadio Mane controls the ball throughout the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final in opposition to Egypt on the Grand stadium in Tangiers. Picture: AFP
RABAT:
Sadio Mane will cement his standing as one of many all-time nice African gamers if he can lead Senegal to victory in opposition to hosts Morocco in Sunday’s Cup of Nations closing – a recreation he has mentioned shall be his farewell to the match.
Former Liverpool star Mane turns 34 in April and has performed over 120 instances for his nation going again to a debut in opposition to Morocco shortly after his twentieth birthday in 2012.
The excessive level of his worldwide profession got here in February 2022, when he starred because the Lions of Teranga beat Egypt on penalties within the Cup of Nations closing in Yaounde.
Having missed a penalty throughout regular time that night time, he stepped as much as rating the decisive kick within the shoot-out and Senegal – World Cup quarter-finalists in 2002 – had been African champions for the primary time.
An enormous weight was lifted off the shoulders of the boy from a small city on the banks of the Casamance River in southern Senegal.
“Earlier than I received the Africa Cup, generally I performed badly due to the strain,” Mane admitted in a latest interview for the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast as he opened up on the importance of that victory.
“Individuals in Europe love their nationwide workforce however some folks love their membership extra – Senegal is the other.
“That’s the reason there’s this large strain, so I simply needed to win this. It was actually vital.”
There have additionally been loads of lows for the two-time African footballer of the yr, together with the defeat within the closing in opposition to Algeria in Cairo in 2019 and lacking the 2022 World Cup with harm.
World Cup to return
However he’s hoping to make 2026 a memorable yr by claiming a second AFCON winner’s medal earlier than turning his attentions to the World Cup in the USA the place Senegal shall be in the identical group as France and Norway.
After scoring the successful objective in Wednesday’s semi-final win over Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, Mane introduced that the ultimate in opposition to Morocco in Rabat could be his final recreation at a Cup of Nations.
“I hope to win and convey the trophy again to Dakar,” mentioned the ahead who has spent the final two and a half years in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, the place he counts Cristiano Ronaldo amongst his teammates.
There’s a feeling that the approaching World Cup may be the swansong for a era of Senegal gamers which additionally contains goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, skipper Kalidou Koulibaly and midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye.
Mane spent a big chunk of his worldwide profession enjoying underneath Aliou Cisse earlier than Pape Thiaw took over as coach in late 2024.
“Let’s hope we have now many extra years with him, since you do not discover a participant like him daily, and we have to take advantage of him,” Thiaw mentioned of Mane after the Egypt win.
“I hope this would possibly not be his final closing; there are different competitions developing, so we’ll see.”
Mane has scored simply twice in Morocco during the last month, his different objective coming in a group-stage draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo – he now has 11 Cup of Nations objectives in complete, putting him amongst an elite band of gamers to have reached double figures.
With Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye rising in significance and Paris Saint-Germain teenager Ibrahim Mbaye rising at this match, Mane should really feel Senegal’s assault is in good palms going ahead.
His announcement suggests that he’s prepared to show his again on the subsequent AFCON, which is ready to happen in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda subsequent yr.
If he can assist ship a second title in three editions for Senegal, confirming their standing as a contemporary African footballing superpower, he will certainly really feel as if his work is completed.
