Mane key to Senegal’s defence of Afcon
Last Afcon: Champions
Previous Appearances: (16) 1965, 1968, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021.
Drawn in Group C with Cameroon, Gambia and Guinea
Senegal, who qualified on top of their group with 14 points out of six matches, will start the tournament as favourites in Group C, where they are up against West African rivals Cameroon, Gambia and Guinea.
Senegal’s sold-out spectacle on Friday, January 19, against the Indomitable Lions is expected to be one of the early highlights of the tournament. Both Senegal and Cameroon are favourites to progress to the knockout rounds.
Senegal’s long serving coach, Aliou Cisse, a former Lions of Teranga captain, has retained most of the players who triumphed against Egypt in the 2021 Afcon final. Towering central defender Kalidou Koulibaly still leads the side, with former Chelsea No 1 goalkeeper Edouard Mendy one of the senior members of the team.
Senegal have fond memories of the last Afcon, where skipper Sadio Mane inspired them to their maiden crown in Cameroon after ending as runners-up in 2002 and 2019.
Mane will once more carry the hopes of millions of his countrymen. The 31-year-old striker — who now plays with Cristiano Ronaldo for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia’s money-spinning Pro League — is expected to be a key man in Senegal’s title defence.
Mane comes to the tournament in high spirits, having recently tied the knot with 18year-old Aisha Tamba in an arranged marriage. His form of eight goals and six assists in 18 matches at Nassr also suggests he will come to the tournament fully focused on the job.
With 100 caps, Mane, the two-time African Footballer of the Year and scorer of the winning penalty when Senegal were crowned champions, is competing in his fifth Afcon finals.