Sadio Mane (Part 1)

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25 Mar 2024

Sadio Mane (Part 1)

Sadio Mané, born on April 10, 1992, is a Senegalese professional footballer renowned for his skills as a forward or winger. He currently plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Senegal national team. Known for his pressing, dribbling, and speed, Mané is considered one of the best players of his generation and among the greatest African players of all time.
Mané began his professional career with Ligue 2 club Metz at the age of 19 before joining Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg in 2012 for a fee of 4 million. He achieved success with Salzburg, winning a league and cup domestic double in the 2013–14 season. Later that summer, he moved to English club Southampton for a then-club record fee of £11.8 million. During his time at Southampton, he set a Premier League record for the fastest hat-trick, scored in just 176 seconds in a 6–1 win over Aston Villa in 2015.

Mane signed for Liverpool for a reported fee of 34 million, making him the most expensive African player at the time. He formed a formidable attacking trio with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino and helped Liverpool reach back to back UEFA Champions League finals in 2018 and 2019, winning the latter. He also won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2018–19 season and played a key role in ending Liverpool's 30-year league title drought by winning the 2019–20 Premier League.

On the international stage, Mane has represented Senegal since 2012, scoring 42 goals in 106 appearances. He is his nation's all-time top goalscorer and second in all-time appearances. Mane has participated in multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and represented Senegal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He helped Senegal to a runners-up finish in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and was named African Footballer of the Year in 2020.
In the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final, Mane scored the winning penalty kick to give Senegal their first-ever title, earning him the Player of the Tournament award. He was also named African Player of the Year for the second time in 2022. Mane has achieved numerous accolades and recognition for his exceptional talent and contributions to both club and country.

Sadio Mane was born in Bambali, Sédhiou, Senegal, to Guinean parents. Despite his desire for a career in football from a young age, his father, who was an imam, initially forbade him from playing the sport. However, when Mané was seven years old, his father passed away. At the age of 15, Mane took matters into his own hands and, with the help of a childhood friend named Luc Djiboune, he ran away from his home village to Dakar to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer. From that point on, he received support from his family to help him fulfill his potential in the sport.
Sadio Mané attracted attention from various clubs, including Austrian Bundesliga side Red Bull Salzburg, after Metz set an asking price of 2 million for him. Despite several offers, Metz increased their asking price to 4 million during the summer transfer window. Eventually, on 31 August 2012, Mané made a move to Salzburg for 4 million, marking the third-largest transfer fee that Metz had ever received.

Mane made a significant impact at Salzburg, scoring his first hat-trick for the club on 31 October in a 3–1 away victory against SC Kalsdorf in the third round of the Austrian Cup. He continued his prolific form, netting his first hat-trick in the Austrian Bundesliga on 27 October 2013, during a 3–0 win away to Grödig. Another memorable performance came on 7 May 2014, when he scored a treble as Salzburg secured a resounding 7–0 victory over Horn in the cup semi-finals. This successful season concluded with Salzburg clinching a domestic double.
However, at the end of August 2014, Mané created controversy by forcing a transfer out of the club. He failed to report for training and missed an important game for Salzburg, which led to his departure from the club.

Sadio Mané completed a transfer to Premier League club Southampton for a fee of £11.8 million, signing a four-year contract with the club. He made his debut for Southampton on 23 September 2014 in a League Cup match against Arsenal, where he played a crucial role in winning the penalty for Southampton's first goal in a 2–1 victory.
Mané made his first appearance in the Premier League for Southampton on 27 September 2014 in a 2–1 win over Queens Park Rangers, contributing an assist to Ryan Bertrand for the opening goal of the match. He scored his first goal for Southampton in an 8–0 thrashing of Sunderland on 18 October 2014, although it was later credited as an own goal by Patrick van Aanholt. However, Mané scored his maiden goal in the Premier League in the following game, securing a 1–0 victory over Stoke City.

During December and January, Mané showcased his scoring prowess by finding the net in three consecutive matches against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Arsenal, respectively. He continued to be influential, scoring crucial late winners in 1–0 victories against Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace in February and March 2015.
The highlight of Mane debut season with Southampton came on 16 May 2015, during the club's final home match of the season against Aston Villa. In that game, Mané achieved a remarkable feat by scoring a hat-trick in just 2 minutes and 56 seconds, setting a new Premier League record for the fastest hat-trick. This surpassed the previous record held by Robbie Fowler since 1994. Mané concluded the season with 10 goals from 32 appearances in all competitions for Southampton.

Sadio Mane began with a strong performance in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round for Southampton against Vitesse Arnhem. He provided two assists in the first leg and scored a goal in the return leg, helping Southampton advance to the next round with a 5–0 aggregate victory.
On 2 December 2015, Mané made a quick impact in the League Cup quarter-finals against Liverpool, scoring just 39 seconds into the match. However, Southampton ultimately suffered a 6–1 defeat at home.

However, Mané faced disciplinary issues during the season. On 2 January 2016, he was dropped from the starting lineup for a match against Norwich City after arriving late for a pre-match meeting. Later, on 12 March 2016, he received a straight red card in a match against Stoke City for a collision with Erik Pieters. However, the red card was quickly overturned on appeal.
Despite these setbacks, Mané showcased his goal-scoring prowess later in the season. On 20 March 2016, he scored twice in a 3–2 victory over Liverpool. Following this, he went on to score five goals in the next five matches, including a memorable hat-trick in a 4–2 win against Manchester City on 1 May 2016. By the end of the season, Mané emerged as Southampton's top scorer, having netted 15 goals in all competitions.