By Shereefdeen Ahmad
Born on 10th April 1992 in Sedhiou Senegal, Sadio Mane grew up in a small village of Bambali in South Senegal.
Coming from a family of many children and parents’ inability to cater for them all due to financial hardship, Sadio Mane had to live with one of his uncles where he was exposed to the world of hard work and labor.
Mane had always dreamt of becoming a footballer, but came from a family that never believed and supported football. To them; football is a “waste of time”. They would rather have him become a teacher.
Whenever asked about his background, Mane always recounts his parental preference for him to teach over football; ” I remember that when I was little, my parents felt that I should study to become a teacher. They thought football was a waste of time and I would never succeed at it”.
Despite his parent’s disapproval of football, this young Bambali boy still had his focus on the ‘ball’ which kept nurturing his passion to get involved in soccer.
The Beginning of the Tough Journey
Speaking further, Mane explained how tough his journey to become a professional footballer was coming up from the street; “Since I was two or three years old, I remember always being with the ball. I would see kids playing on the street, and would join. That is how I started – just on the roads.
” When I got older, I would go to watch games, especially when the national team played. I wanted to see my heroes and imagine myself as them.”
However, Mane as a little boy was turned to a laughing stock that time his passion and belief to become a professional footballer kept pushing him to get involved. Mane revealed that his people were very much aware of his talent, but they just thought and believed it’s a waste of time for him. This was how the part of the world he found himself and the low-class family he came from painted football an ‘impossible’ adventure for him.
“When I was young, I would tell everyone that I’m going to be a big player for a big club and they would laugh at me. It wasn’t because they didn’t think I was talented, but it seemed impossible to go from Senegal to the top. But I always knew I had it in me,” explained Mane.
His ambition to become a professional footballer got fuelled when his country Senegal, reached the quarter-finals of 2002 World cup being their first appearance at the international level, beating the then host nation; France in the group stage opener. Mane talked about how that moment was a big motivation for his career. “After the world cup, my friends and I started having tournaments in the village, I became more and more determined to be the best and win every game.”
Mane had always envisioned himself at the top level of the football world and for that reason, he felt he would be stuck here in the village without achieving the goal. In pursuant to actualizing this goal, the young Bambali boy who was at that time around 15 years of age, ran away from the village.
According to him; ” I left without telling anyone, apart from my best friend. I walked for a long time to meet up with a friend who loaned me some money so that I could take a bus to Dakar.
I was welcome by a family who I did not know. I immediately took part in a training session.”
After his parents had found out about his whereabouts, he was pressured to come back home. Then the little Mane continued to pester his parents and his uncle to let him off the village in chase of his dream.When they realized that the boy’s head and legs are tied to the motive, they had to turn down their plan for him and embrace his own plan instead.
“My uncle was the biggest help, but not the only one at the start, almost everyone in my village contributed money for me. When I moved to Dakar’s Suburbs, I went to live with a family that I didn’t even know. I only offered them a few monies and explained my motive before they allowed me in.
Although, my family knew someone who knew them, and took me to their house at first. They took me in , they cared for me and did everything to help me just to worry about football.”
The Miracle in Dakar
Speaking about what his departure from the village meant at that time and how helpful his arrival at Dakar was, Mane discussed how his strong flair for football could not spare him to rest as he quickly made inquiries on the famous Football Club in the town and took part the next day for trial.
“When I arrived there on the next day, I saw a lot of boys being tested for entry into the team. I will never forget this, and it’s funny now. But when I went to try out, there was an older man that looked at me like I was in the wrong place. He asked me “are you here for the test? ” I said I was. He asked, ” with those boots?” He looked at them angrily. How can you play in them? “. They were bad, really bad – torn and old. Then he said” and with those shorts? You don’t even have proper shorts?”
He didn’t allow the humiliating questions of the old man to weigh him down. To him, it was just a reminder of what he already knew. He was poor. And never doubt that. And so refused to be intimidated, much less demoralized.
“I told him what I came with was the best I had, and I only wanted to play – show myself.”
However, Mane never left that trial pitch without serving the old man right to feed his skepticism of him. Mane usually tells in most of his interviews how the old man was later shocked and surprised seeing what the little boy could do with his torn shoes.
“When I got on the pitch, you could see the surprise on his face. He came to me and said” I’m picking you straight away, you will play in my team.” After those trials, I went to the local team’s academy.”
For the two seasons he spent in the local academy, he was absolutely amazing, doing what he had wanted to do. His dream came to life when he was picked up by French Scouts on their mission to Senegal. Mane’s astonishing skills magneted the French Scouts and they made him join the French Club, Metz.
Which France ?
At this moment, Mane didn’t tell anyone that he would be leaving for France except his uncle. Because he wanted it to be a big surprise for them; “I only told my uncle. Even my mum didn’t know.
“The next day I went with some of my friends who were already at Metz to buy some cards. I called her and said, hello Mama,I’m in France.
“Which France?” She replied, she couldn’t believe it! , I said France in Europe. What do you mean you live in Senegal, she said . No, I’m in Europe, she was amazed, it was crazy! She was so surprised and she would call me everyday to ask if it was true. She didn’t believe me until I told her to go watch me on TV. She finally did and observed that my dream has come true.”
Mane to the World
Sadio Mane started his professional career in football in January 2012 at Metz in France and from there he was called up to represent his country Senegal in the 2012 Olympic in London. It was his excellent performance in the tournament that earned him transfer to Austrian Football Club; Red Bull salzburg.
Mane’s exceptional performance in RB salzburg secured him another transfer in 2014, to the arguably the most popular of the football leagues in the world, EnglishPremier league where he joined Southampton.
That was where he started to carve a name for himself as he finished the 2014-15 season as the club’s top scorer. In May 2015, Mane scored a hat-trick against Aston Villa, thereby setting a new Premier league record for the fastest hat-trick.
In 2016, the poor Bambali boy with torn shoes and no good shorts joined Liverpool Football Club for a transfer fee of 34 million pounds. The fee made him the most expensive African player at that time. After several memorable seasons with the Reds, Mane has now joined Bundesliga side Baryen Munich
Today, Sadio Mane is one of the top professional football stars in the world with titles like UEFA Champions league, premier league, Club World cup to his name and has also won many individual awards like; 2019 African Player of the Year, Premier league Golden Boot for 2018/2019 season, Liverpool Player of the Season 2016/2017, FIFA FIFPRO World11 4th team 2018, UEFA Team of the Year 2019, Onze D’or 2018 /2019 among others.
Mane At AFCON 2021
Sadio Mane has led his team the Lions of Teranga to Senegal’s first ever African Cup of Nations victory in Cameroon.
Mane has tremendously helped Senegal throughout the tournament, scoring the decisive spot-kick in the final clash against Egypt at Olembe Stadium in Yaounde on Sunday, 6th February 2022.
The Bayern Munich star has contributed three goals and two assists in the tournament. For his top-notch performance, the Senegalese magician has been crowned as the TotalEnergies Man of the Competition.
After the victory, Mane stated that the moment( AFCON Champions) has been the best ever in his life.
“It’s the best day of my life and the best trophy of my life.I won the Champions League and some [other] trophies but this is the special one for me,” he said.
“This is more important for me. I am happy for myself, my people and all of my family.”
Also, Mane has become the first player to win the Socrates Award_ a newly introduced prize to recognise the humanitarian effort of a player.