KOOORA

10 July 2026 17:38

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A stellar career for Senegal's top star

Sadio Mané announced his retirement from international football on Friday, ending one of the most remarkable careers in Senegalese and African football history, after becoming a symbol of a golden generation that brought the 'Lions of Teranga' back to the podium and to competition for the biggest titles.

For many years, Mané carried the dreams of his country's fans and etched his name among the greatest players in Senegal's history, having been present in the team's most important moments over the past decade, from winning the first Africa Cup of Nations title, to qualifying for the World Cup, to breaking records.

With the announcement of the end of his international journey, we review the top 5 milestones that shaped Sadio Mané's legacy with the Senegal national team.

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The title that changed Senegal's history

The moment of winning the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon remains the most important in Mané's international career, as he led his country to their first continental title in Senegal's history.

The achievement came at the expense of Egypt in the final, which ended goalless before a penalty shootout decided the match in favor of the 'Lions of Teranga'.

Despite Mané missing a penalty during the match, he stepped up to take the decisive spot kick in the shootout, giving his country the historic title that Senegalese fans had waited decades for.

Mané's honors were not limited to lifting the trophy; he also received the Best Player award, having been one of the team's standout performers throughout the tournament.

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Eliminating Egypt and qualifying for the 2022 World Cup

A few weeks after the African triumph, Mané faced Egypt again, this time in the final round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The Senegalese team repeated their superiority over the Pharaohs, securing the ticket to the Qatar World Cup via penalties, as Mané led his country to the World Cup for the third time in their history.

However, the joy of qualification was not complete for the Senegalese star, as he suffered a serious injury with Bayern Munich before the tournament, which prevented him from participating in the Qatar World Cup, despite being one of the main reasons the team reached the tournament.

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All-time top scorer for Senegal

Mané continued to make history with his national team jersey, becoming the all-time top scorer for the 'Lions of Teranga'.

On June 4, 2022, Mané scored a hat-trick against Benin in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, raising his tally to 31 goals and surpassing the previous record of 29 goals held by Henri Camara.

Since then, Mané continued to increase his tally, reaching 55 goals, becoming the top scorer in Senegal's national team history.

He also ranks second in the list of most appearances for Senegal with 132 caps, behind Idrissa Gana Gueye who has 136 appearances.

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The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco witnessed one of the last bright chapters in Mané's international career, as he played a prominent role in leading Senegal toward winning the title, before it was revoked and awarded to the Atlas Lions.

Mané was the standout star of the tournament, contributing 4 goals in 7 matches, scoring two and assisting two, deservedly winning the Best Player award.

Despite the great controversy that followed the final match and the crisis that accompanied it, Mané's performance remained one of the tournament's highlights, as he once again proved his ability to shine on the big occasions.

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Last appearance in the World Cup

Mané made his second World Cup appearance in the 2026 edition in the United States, after previously appearing in the 2018 Russia World Cup.

Read also: Official: Al-Ittihad signs vanquisher of Al-Nassr to replace Conceição

The Senegalese star aimed to lead his country to a new historic achievement, but the team's journey ended early with elimination in the round of 32 after a 2-3 loss to Belgium.

During the tournament, Mané failed to score any goals and only managed one assist, while his first appearance in the 2018 Russia World Cup saw him score one goal before Senegal's elimination in the group stage.

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