RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has appealed for star forward Sadio Mané to reconsider his decision to make this Africa Cup of Nations his last.
Mané, the two-time African Footballer of the Year, is playing in his sixth Africa Cup and fired Senegal into the final by scoring for a 1-0 win over Egypt in the semifinals. The 33-year-old Mané told journalists after that match that this will be his last Africa Cup.
Thiaw said Saturday that he hopes Mané will listen to the will of the Senegalese people.
“There’s a nation behind him. This nation would like to see him continue because he made this decision in the heat of the moment. And the country doesn’t agree,” Thiaw said a day before Senegal faces host nation Morocco for the decider. “And I, as the coach, don’t agree at all. We’d like to keep him as long as possible.”
Mané led Senegal to the 2021 Africa Cup title and has been leading the team at this edition with captain Kalidou Koulibaly suspended for one game earlier in the tournament and again for Sunday’s final.
Mané’s goal against Egypt was his 11th altogether in the Africa Cup. He has also set up nine more.
“He’s a legend. Everywhere. For Africa. He represents Africa, he represents the world. He’s an example! We need people like him in this life. He teaches life lessons, his resilience, his education, and how he gives his all for Senegal,” Thiaw said. “He gave his life so we could win this tournament (in 2021), so we could get our first star.”
Thiaw said he doesn’t want to see Mané leave, “and his teammates don’t either.”
Defender Moussa Niakhaté said he didn’t have enough time to explain what Mané represents for Senegalese and African soccer.
“What defines Sadio is hard work, love for his country. And as he declared after the match against Egypt, this will be his last Africa Cup game, his sixth Africa Cup, so it shows his longevity and consistency,” Niakhaté said before Senegal goes for its second title. “We owe it to him to bring him back that second star.”
Mané still has the World Cup to come before he quits the national team. The Teranga Lions have been drawn in a group with France, Norway and then a playoff winner between Bolivia, Suriname and Iraq.
AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
Join us for community fun! Free antique and collectible appraisals by Clars Auction. Over 30… Read moreMillbrae Senior Showcase
Thomas Morgan said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.