On Saturday, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw stated that Sadio Mane’s last game at the Africa Cup of Nations would not be his last appearance there, saying the former Liverpool player would not want to leave.
“His decision is no longer his responsibility. On the eve of the final game against the host nation, Thiaw told reporters in Rabat that there is a whole community behind him and that they would like for him to continue.
Mane, 33, declared he would not participate in another Cup of Nations after the semi-final defeat to Egypt on Wednesday, which was the winner.
His comments suggested that he might end his international career entirely after the World Cup in June and July, when he will turn 34.
Read more about Senegal’s AFCON Final: Security, Ticketing, and Other Concerns.
In 2027, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are scheduled to host the next Cup of Nations.
“I believe he made his decision in the midst of the monment, and the country does not agree with me, and I do not at all agree with that,” said Thiaw, the national team’s coach.
“We want to keep him as long as possible,” he said.
Senegal won the Cup of Nations in 2022 for the first time in their history when the former Liverpool star scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out against Egypt.
The two-time African player of the year winner also participated in the team that lost to Algeria in the 2019 final; this will be Senegal’s third AFCON final after the previous three years.
Sadio is a remarkable player who “would have deserved to win a Ballon d’Or.” He is simply amazing, according to defensive player Moussa Niakhate.
He lacks a large ego, he claims. He simply works hard and cares about his country; this is his sixth AFCON, demonstrating his perseverance and longevity.
security concerns
The coach of Senegal expressed anger over the welcome his team received on Friday when they arrived in the Moroccan capital.
Since Tangiers, the port city in which The Lions of Teranga have been based since the start of the competition, made a trip to Rabat.
Late on Friday, the Senegalese Football Federation made a statement expressing “serious concerns,” including a “lack of adequate security” for the team’s arrival, which “put the players and staff in danger.”
Additionally, it expressed concern about the hotel the delegation received and the number of tickets given to their supporters for the final, and that they were unsatisfied that the Moroccan team had offered them a training pitch.
Thiaw resisted saying, “What happened yesterday was not normal.”
Anything could have happened, given the number there, they said. My players were in danger, I imagine.
That kind of interaction shouldn’t take place between two neighboring nations.
Morocco aims to capitalize on its home advantage to win the AFCON title for the first time in 50 years as the top two teams in Africa are paired up for the final, which is held in front of the top two teams in the FIFA rankings.
However, the semi-finalists for the 2022 World Cup are under enormous pressure to win.
The final step will be the most challenging, Morocco coach Walid Regragui said, “We dreamed of being here, and we are now,” Regragui said.
Senegal are a great team, and this is their third of four finals, but a final between the top two teams is fantastic for African football.
He continued, “It will be crucial how we handle the emotion of the occasion.” We can’t put too much pressure on ourselves.
Source: Channels TV
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