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No matter how, only victory counts. The Teranga Lions are on a mission in Cameroon: to snatch this damn star from an African Cup of Nations (CAN) which has cruelly eluded them since their great first at this tournament in 1965. Wednesday February 2, at 8 p.m. Senegal faces, at the Ahmadou-Ahidjo stadium in Yaoundé, the twirling Burkina Faso for a place in the final.
Perhaps the second in a row, only the third in its history (after 2002 and 2019) if the Lions manage to defeat the Stallions. “Now, the objective is to go all the way to be able to win this trophy which is close to our hearts”, launched Sadio Mané, after his victory in the quarterfinals against surprising Equatorial Guinea (3-1), on January 30. “We have never been so close, but there is the Burkinabé obstacle which is there. We hope that this star will come and that it will be in Cameroon, Inch’Allah”, commented, the day before the match, Aliou Cissé, the coach, in a serene tone.
To get there, Senegal, the big favorite in this duel, can bet on his guide with an eternal smile: Sadio Mané. This player has a crazy class, a disconcerting fair play, a delicacy on each shot, a sensitivity that is felt to the stands. His kindness should not make the extraordinary striker forget that he is on the lawns, with his stunning flashes, his fiery dribbling, his stunning shots.
Sadio Mané, on his own, is capable of reversing fate of a game that started badly. ” He gives us a taste for high level because, when we see him working, we realize that we may not be working hard enough and that we should get started too., underlines with a smile Joseph Lopy, his teammate in the national team.
“The Balloon Wizard”
Sadio Mané, 29, is the embodiment of the ultimate dream of any Senegalese or continental footballer: to be a pro. And to think that he should have become an imam. Like his father. Leather will become his new religion with the intention of donning the tunic of a prestigious club on the planet and equaling his idol, a god living in Senegal, El Hadji Diouf.
Sadio Mané was born in 1992 into a very modest family in Bambali, a village in southern Senegal, on the banks of the Casamance river. As a child, he goes to the field to help his farmer uncle and, even if the uncle hardly believes in it, Sadio promises him that one day he will stop working the land. He will keep his word. His family pushes him to study but he prefers the company of balloons. And when he doesn’t have any, he goes to pick grapefruits to dribble with.
The boy is gifted: he stands out as the best player in the village to the point of being nicknamed “Ballonbuwa”, “the ball wizard”. Then, everything is linked: training center in Dakar, pro at 19 at FC Metz, a stint at Red Bull in Salzburg, in Southampton to finish in 2016 in Liverpool with which he won the Champions League, the World Cup clubs or even the championship.
In England, Anfield Road becomes his new home and Reds fans cheer him in songs to his glory. On this mythical lawn, the star shares the attack alongside the Egyptian Mohamed Salah who will face, on February 3, Cameroon in the other semi-final. If they manage to get rid of their opponents, the two teammates could find themselves in the final of the tournament.
” An example to follow “
Sadio Mané, golden line drawn on his hair, is also recognized for his simplicity: he has “was brought up like that”, he said, still smiling. A practicing Muslim, he helped his family and his village by building a school and a hospital there. “He knows things that we don’t necessarily know. It may surprise you, but he is a generous person who shares without necessarily being asked, describes Joseph Lopy. He’s someone who wants to win, to pull the team up and you can see that on the pitch. It is an example to follow. »
Since the start of the competition, the Teranga Lions have been progressing slowly but gaining momentum. Senegal can not yet let go and develop a captivating football. “Our team is a little misjudged sometimes”, regrets Matar Ba, Minister of Sports of Senegal. Sadio Mané, two goals and an assist in five games, will finally have to break free to defeat Burkina Faso.
The Stallions also dream of this final which goes far beyond sport. On January 24, their country – battered by successive jihadist attacks – experienced a military coup. “Events are extra motivation for us, assured the coach, Kamou Malo. For several years, we have been confronted with this terrorism which continues to mourn our people. Our goal is to give him a bit of a smile. I am already being asked for the trophy, we will be keen to offer it to our people. »
