Senegal and Liverpool star Sadio Mane’s effectiveness on field is matched only by his positive impact on the world off of it, writes, Oliver Keohane.

Sadio Mane missed a penalty in normal time when Senegal and Egypt battled it out in the Afcon final. The game went to penalties, where Mane sunk his second shot at glory and denied Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah.

One Liverpool star, along with his whole country was in tears, the other was the champion of Africa. It’s those cruel and fine margins that make the sport so crushing and so captivating. In the context of this particular match, the world was given not just a soccer show, but a measure of the man that is Sadio Mane. The Senegal striker was the first to comfort Salah, and he was quick to issue a request to Liverpool, upon his return to club football, that no reference be made to his success, out of respect to his forward partner.

The footballing world has been inundated with horrifying incidents involving players of late. From Kurt Zouma kicking his cat to the assault allegations and subsequent arrest of Mason Greenwood, the suspicion surrounding Gylfi Sigurdsson and the numerous charges faced by Benjamin Mendy.

These are the worst, over the last 12 months, in a football world seemingly growing more crass and crude by the month. So, to witness and read about the genuine goodness and kindness of Mane is to feel as though you are exposed to the exception rather than the rule in today’s climate.

Mane has had a phenomenal season, after a 2020-21 campaign where he struggled to kick on in the way many expected. Taking into account the fact that Mane missed some Premier League matches during his time at the Afcon, where he was awarded Player of the Tournament after guiding Senegal to their first title, his statistics in the English top flight are very impressive.

There is every reason for Mane to be among that elite group of soccer stars whose egos are the only things bigger than their salaries. However, the biggest presence surrounding Sadio Mane is that of the humanitarian. Growing up in Bambali, about 400km from Senegal’s capital, Dakar, Mane left home at 15 to seek a career as a professional footballer.

His exploits have given him the platform to return home and help a country in need. While his philanthropic endeavours have never appeared to obstruct his on-field performances, they are quite clearly a priority outside of the game. In 2019, as Liverpool were wrapping up what would be a successful Champions League campaign, Mane donated £250 000 to fund a secondary school in Bambali.

In 2020, he gave £500 000 to help build a hospital in his home town and, in an interview with The Guardian, reflected on his sister’s home birth due to there being no medical facility in the village at the time. Fast forward to the Afcon Round of 16 and Mane, taken to hospital after a head collision, pays the medical fees for a child badly injured in a motorcycle accident whose family couldn’t afford the care.

When the pandemic struck Senegal and the world in 2020, Mane was quick to donate to the national committee fighting the spread of Covid-19 and delivered messages via social media championing the importance of taking appropriate safety measures. A stark contrast to the many players caught breaking rules and restrictions throughout that period.

‘Why would I want 10 Ferraris, 20 diamond watches, or two planes? What will these objects do for me and the world?’ asked Mane when asked about how he spends his wealth. ‘I built schools, a stadium, we provide clothes, shoes, food for people who are in extreme poverty.

‘In addition, I give 70 euros per month to all people in a very poor region of Senegal which contributes to their family economy. I do not need to display luxury cars, luxury homes, trips and even planes. I prefer that my people receive a little of what life has given me.’

Mane’s impact on a soccer field is tough to match but it is his impact on the world and his country that has set an even higher bar for the football community.

Fast Facts
Full Name: Sadio Mane
Date of Birth: 10 April 1992
Place of Birth: Bambali, Senegal
Height: 1.75m
Position: Forward
Number: 10