Sadio Mané chases ultimate Senegal triumph in what could be his last World Cup | OneFootball

At 34, Sadio Mané is targeting a final flourish with Senegal, hoping to carry his country to a World Cup crown that would seal his legacy.

According to L'Équipe, the forward has 126 caps and 55 goals, and he missed the last World Cup in Qatar through injury as his team reached the last 16. He delivered Senegal’s first AFCON in 2022, and a January title remains under CAS review after CAF’s appeals jury annulled a 1-0 win over Morocco on 17 March and awarded a 3-0 win to Morocco.

Questions about decline have followed, yet he answered with deeds, taking player of the tournament honours at an AFCON staged in Morocco. Coach Pape Thiaw prizes his professionalism, and Yéhvann Diouf even jokes that team-mates skip dessert when Mané is around.

Moussa Niakhaté calls him the group’s guide and technical leader, calm in any situation and unmoved by praise or criticism. He believes Mané is the greatest African player, and says the 34-year-old’s sculpted conditioning underlines the career behind it.

Mané’s investments in a hospital, a school and a mosque have transformed his village, where he is revered as a protective figure.

Before big games he often seeks counsel from El-Hadji Diouf, his boyhood idol, who urged him to rise above the criticism before AFCON. Diouf is convinced Mané will show his class at this World Cup and even has the level to return to a major European club. France have been warned about his influence, finishing and game intelligence.

Source: L'Équipe