African Cup 2022 – A goal, an assist and a constant omnipresence: Sadio Mané, XXL leader of a Senegal on a mission

His lightning acceleration in the 84th minute of play symbolizes Sadio Mané’s state of mind in this 2022 African Cup of Nations: he will not let go, from the first to the last minute. For his second consecutive CAN semi-final, the Liverpool player once again shone and carried his selection on his shoulders, with natural leadership and humility at the service of the collective.

Decisive on both sides of the pitch

“We knew that the match was not going to be easy, because it is an African Cup semi-final. We had a great team in front of us, which put us in difficulty, but we knew how to keep our calm from start to finish.” greeted the number 10 of the Lions of Teranga after the meeting. At the microphone of Bein Sports, Mané has not once spoken of himself, but of his group. On Wednesday evening, he again splashed his talent on the lawn of the Stade Ahmadou-Ahidjo in Yaoundé.

Best dribbler in the game with six successful eliminations, Mané also offered an assist, three shots on target, five chances created, and a high-class goal to bend the game. On the other side of the field, it was also he who went to the duel the most of the entire meeting (18 duels, 11 won), in a register where we usually expect more from defensive midfielders. A sign of his more than complete performance, it was on the wrong foot that he scored his goal and his assist. As if to show that everything has been successful for him or almost for three weeks.

Senegal on a mission, Mané as a guide

Because in this tournament, it is still him who saves the Lions of Teranga. Sole scorer for Senegal from the penalty spot during the group stage, he also pulled his people out of the Cape Verdean trap in the round of 16, by scoring a splendid goal, while he was still stunned by a violent shock with the goalkeeper. opponent. Now in the final for the second time in three years, Mané has the opportunity to win a first trophy with his country, and to offer the Senegalese people an unprecedented coronation for a nation that nevertheless counts on the continent.

“Our players did the right jobwelcomed the coach Aliou Cissé after the meeting, before clearly displaying the ambitions of his team. You know, Senegal have already gone to the final several times in the past (defeats in 2002 and 2019, note). It’s not a final that drives us. The goal is to win this CAN. The boys deserve it.”

Let the armband fit him well

And among these boys, Mané is a leader who pulls his teammates up. A time perhaps weighed down by the pressure of the captain’s armband – which he has since left to Kouyaté, then to Koulibaly -, the 29-year-old winger enjoys another role: that of leader of the attack. The man through whom the light can come. Since 2017, no other African player has been more decisive than him in the African Cup of Nations, a symbol of the dimension taken by the player trained in Metz.

Individually, Mané is also on the way to becoming a little more of a Senegalese football legend. He who does not hide his ambitions to succeed George Weah as African player winner of the Ballon d’Or knows it: victory in CAN is not an option to win this distinction this year, but an obligation. It’s only a short game away.