Sadio Mané is the focal point on a star-studded Senegalese National football team. Originally from a small town in Senegal called Bambali, Mané (29) plays club football for former champions league winners Liverpool F.C. in England. Mané’s recent struggles for his club had raised speculation as to if he had the talent necessary to carry his country to a title.
Mane netted Senegal’s first goal of the tournament and from there carried them to the AFCON final against Egypt. After missing a penalty earlier in the match, Mané stepped up as the final penalty taker with a chance to silence his haters and made no mistake. He scored his penalty, and Senegal were AFCON champions for the first time in history.
Mané winning Senegal an AFCON championship will show Senegalese children that they can become professional footballers and carry their country to trophies. Football is extremely popular in Senegal, and now that Mane has shown that people from Senegal can develop to be world class footballers, big clubs across Europe will look more often to recruit players from Senegal hoping to find the next Mané. This will create more professional opportunities for young Senegalese footballers and hopefully advance football in Senegal.
On top of being one of the best footballers in the world, Mané is also extremely humble. He is known for funding hospitals and schools in Senegal and giving most of his wages to his family. In 2019, this photo of Mané holding his phone that had a smashed screen surfaced. One would think a superstar making that much money would buy a new phone. Mané has not only shown Senegalese youth how to achieve greatness, but he has also shown them how to be humble once greatness is achieved. Mané truly is the perfect role model.
WillV
Sport, Not Games ⚽ 