What is wrong with him?
The winning penalty at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, the spot kick which secured his nation’s ticket to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, were both courtesy of Sadio Mane, Senegal’s talisman and most influential player. The 2022 Ballon d’Or runner-up has, on multiple occasions throughout his international career, illustrated how integral he is to his nation’s hopes and while he would like to add to this legacy in Qatar, it remains to be seen how much of an impact he will have on his team’s fortunes. Mane came off at the Allianz Arena 20 minutes into Bayern Munich’s penultimate Bundesliga match before the league’s World Cup hiatus after sustaining a knock to his leg. As he made his way off the field, all of Senegal’s supporters waited to hear the latest on his fitness with bated breaths. This was followed by French media outlet L’Equipe reporting that Mane would be ruled out of the tournament in the Middle East, with the severity of his injury leaving him out for several weeks. Bayern, however, did not go that far, releasing a statement confirming that the former Liverpool man had suffered an injury to his right fibula that and would miss this past weekend’s match against Schalke with further examinations to come. The German outfit have been in dialogue with the Senegalese Football Federation’s medical team, and it is a race against time with their opening World Cup match against the Netherlands on 21 November. Generally, injuries to the fibula take around six weeks to heal, provided that the individual in question doesn’t rush back into action. That does not bode well for Mane’s prospects of appearing at the competition, but head coach Aliou Cisse was always likely to include the former Liverpool winger in his squad, even if the only chance of him getting onto the field in Qatar is deemed small.
Senegal without Mane
Senegal goes into their third World Cup with massive expectations placed onto them, not just from their own country, but the continent. Many believe that this could be the strongest African squad to grace a World Cup and have a good chance of outdoing their compatriots from a decade ago in Korea & Japan by going past the quarter-final stage. Senegal have been drawn against hosts Qatar, Ecuador and three-time tournament finalists Netherlands in Group A. While the group may look favourable, all those teams look a different proposition without Mane in Senegal’s starting XI. The West African nation could use Watford’s Ismaila Sarr on the left, AS Monaco’s Krepin Diatta on the right and Sheffield United’s Iliman Ndiaye as a No. 10 behind a striker like Salernitana forward Boulaye Dia. Villarreal’s Nicolas Jackson could also be another attacking option utilised by Cisse in Mane’s absence, but for the youngster to replicate the performances of a player like the Bambali-born man will be extremely difficult. That goes for all the aforementioned attackers, as none of them possess the clinical ability or technical proficiency that Die Roten’s star man does. Mane’s contribution to the Senegalese national team goes beyond the pitch as well. Having always been one of the best players in star-studded dressing rooms for the past eight years, the Sedhiou native brings an elite mentality to the squad. His presence off the pitch will likely be felt in a big way as young players like Jackson and Ndiaye were likely looking up to a player like Mane to make a difference in close encounters.
Group stage challenge
Such is the quality of Mane that without him, Senegal goes from being a good team to perhaps being an ordinary one. However, given their group opponents, the 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists will still fancy their chances of getting out of their group. Cisse’s men will face the Netherlands in their opening match of the World Cup. The Dutch boast arguably the most formidable backline at the tournament and with Mane potentially set to miss the clash altogether, the highest-ranked African side at the World Cup will have a hard time breaching it. Louis van Gaal’s charges are unbeaten in their last 15 fixtures and will be hoping to extend that to 16 when both teams take to the pitch at the Al Thumama Stadium. The onus is now on the likes of Chelsea defender and Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly to take the mantle and lead their teammates out of the group after they finished just shy of Round of 16 qualification in Russia four years ago. Koulibaly’s club teammate Edouard Mendy, AC Milan’s Fode Ballo-Toure, and Idrissa Gana Gueye of Everton will be required to step up should Mane be unavailable, but the team will need to play more cohesively rather than just rely on the brilliance of one man. This could potentially bear fruit for a team that is used to deferring to Mane, but within evenly poised games, a lack of a difference-maker such as the former Southampton forward could be hampering. Mane, though, is a true patriot and has, on multiple occasions, articulated the lengths he would go just to succeed with his country. Before their Afcon triumph earlier this year, the skillful attacker said he would happily trade his UEFA Champions League winner’s medal for a chance to hold the African title aloft. Quotes such as those make us believe that the prolific winger will pull on the famous Green and White strip of Senegal even if he is not 100 percent fit, something Bayern may not like to hear, but such is the character of Africa’s best player. Playing through the pain may cause longterm injuries to a player that has been durable throughout his career, but he will not want to fail his country, even if it is to his detriment.