We left him on February 6, 2022, during the final of the last Africa Cup of Nations, in tears, drunk with joy after scoring the penalty shoot-out for Senegal against Egypt. In one strike, Sadio Mané had sent an entire country, his country, to the roof of Africa. It was a monumental feat, however, that came to a bad start when the then Liverpool player missed a penalty after just six minutes of play. But when it came time to conclude, and complete the work of his teammates Kalidou Koulibaly, Bamba Dieng and Edouard Mendy, the winger did not tremble.
"For me, the AFCON is the best of all the trophies I will win in my career and in my life," he said after the match, despite the 2019 Champions League already on his record. The others will be bonuses. Winning this competition has always been a dream for me and I did it with all my teammates. I'm happy and proud, I don't have the words. »
Two years later, the Senegalese is back at the Africa Cup of Nations. Starting in the first match of the Lions of Teranga, won on Tuesday against Gambia (3-0), the winger proved decisive by delivering a caviar to Pape Gueye, author of the first goal after only four minutes. It's a great way to get back to their national team but also to rediscover the sensations they've been looking for since they won the title two years ago. Because as soon as he returned to Liverpool, the rest of his career had become complicated.
Disgusted by Liverpool
Welcomed as a hero, like his entire team, on his return to Senegal, Mané was initially not able to take much advantage of this title, his duty in England calling him. Starting on February 13, 2022 against Burnley with the Reds, the winger quickly swapped the green jersey of his national team for the red of Liverpool. Too quickly, perhaps. Starting at kick-off on numerous occasions, he seemed to run out of steam at the end of the season and was unable to offer another title to his manager, Jürgen Klopp, failing in the Champions League final against Real Madrid and second place in the Premier League behind Manchester City.
The relationship between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané has deteriorated over the years.
This sixth season across the Channel will be the last for the Senegalese. Frustrated by the frosty reception he received on his return to the banks of the Mersey, he opened the door to a transfer for the first time. The justification given, namely to deal with the disappointment of his Egyptian team-mate Mohamed Salah (born of his failure in the AFCON final), precious in view of the end of the season for the Reds, does not satisfy him much. He eventually flew to Bayern Munich, for a cheque of 40 million euros, where Robert Lewandowski's departure to Barcelona left a gaping hole.
"I think it's the best decision I've made in my career," he told the BBC ahead of the start of the 2022-2023 season. But in the end, the graft didn't take. Despite some successful initial performances and a good rating with the Bavarian public, Mané quickly dragged his feet on the Bundesliga pitches, wandering in search of his true level.
Injured, he couldn't even try to recover at the World Cup with his compatriots, who were eliminated by England in the round of 24. Less and less appreciated by his coach, Julian Nagelsmann, the winger regularly finds himself on the bench on his return and has to make do with bits and pieces of games. The arrival of Thomas Tuchel on March <> did not change much.
A sense of betrayal towards Bayern
But the Senegalese's journey in Bavaria became even more complicated on April 11, during the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Manchester City. Coming on in the 69th minute as a substitute for Jamal Musiala, the winger became annoyed and annoyed. In the dressing room, an argument broke out with Leroy Sané, who Mané punched. Taken out of the locker room by other teammates, the best player of the last AFCON will receive a one-match suspension and a record fine of 350,000 euros.
A few days after their altercation, Leroy Sané and Sadio Mané are trying to make a good omen on the pitch. Photo Icon sport PictureAlliance / Icon Sport
"Anyone who knows European football knows that Leroy Sané is a very condescending boy," Bacary Cissé, the Senegalese's advisor, told RMC Sport a few months after the incident. Whereas Sadio Mané has never created problems where he has been. Leroy Sané has crossed the Rubicon. According to him, it was the skin colour of the former Liverpool star that caused problems for his team-mate, who allegedly verbally abused him. "If Sadio Mané's skin colour bothered Leroy Sané, it also bothered Bayern Munich's management," he said, regretting the lack of sanction for the German, who had denied his comments to the Bavarian leaders. Accusations of racism strongly rejected by the club.
However, the break was consummated, Sadio Mané could find a new home port. It was finally in Saudi Arabia, the new Eldorado of the summer of 2023, that he found a new opportunity, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. Starting in the opening match, and even captain in that match, the Senegalese started the season with a bang, scoring six goals in the first six league games. Although he has fallen slightly back into the ranks since then, he is still an important pawn in the second place in the Saudi Pro League. And he will have to be just as valuable, in this month of January, to help the Lions of Teranga in their quest for an improbable double.