Sadio Mane who recently won the UEFA Champions League title with Liverpool has arrived at the Senegalese national team’s camp ahead of Egypt 2019 and he was welcomed with fanfare, Completesports.com reports.
The star forward on Friday touched down at the camp site of the Teranga Lions ahead of the African Cup of Nations which starts in Cairo, Egypt on June 21, and his arrival was greeted with a loud applause from his teammates.
A video has emerged online of the Senegalese squad giving the No. 10 a guard of honour following his European success with Liverpool.
An excited Mane tweeted on his Twitter handle: “Always a great pleasure to join the Lions. All behind the Lions of Senegal, #SM10 #Lionsdusenegal #Can2019”
Mane had a rollercoaster 2018/19 season which saw him finding the back of the net 26 times while providing an assist in 50 appearances across all competitions for the Reds who won their sixth Champions League crown, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final.
As part of Senegal’s preparation for the AFCON 2019, Aliou Cisse’s men will square up with West African neighbours, Nigeria on Sunday.
Mane who also played a colossal role at national level by helping Senegal finish their AFCON qualifying campaign unbeaten, has so far scored 16 goals in 60 international caps for the Teranga Lions.
The Teranga Lions’ best outing was in the 2002 edition where they finished as runners-up and they will hope to surpass that performance in this years’ AFCON.
Senegal will have to navigate their way past Group C rivals, Kenya, Algeria and Tanzania to reach the knockout stages of the tournament.
Their opening game is against the Emmanuel Amuneke’s Taifa Stars of Tanzania on June 23.
By Oluyemi Ogunseyin
3 Comments
Is now or never for mane he hasn’t perform for Senegal the same way he does for Liverpool.
If Mane is a Nigerian player,some people who do not believe in allowing any player to rest after a hectic season would have blasted him and called him all sorts of name for just arriving camp.
abi o. Iwobi did not come on time if u see what people said and wrote, the man has to change his earlier schedule. Nor be small thing.