Senegal, the defending African champions, were eliminated from the World Cup in Qatar on Sunday night after losing 3-0 to Gareth Southgate’s England at Al Bayt Stadium.
The people are very proud of your journey,” Sadio Mane told his Senegal teammates after their elimination from the World Cup on Sunday night.
England eliminated Senegal from the tournament in Qatar. With goals from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane, and Bukayo Saka, England cruised to a 3-0 victory, advancing to Saturday’s quarterfinals against the defending champions, France, and their superstar, Kylian Mbappe.
Due to England’s strength and the African champions’ absences, England was a heavy favorite to advance past the first round and into the last 16. Senegal coach Aliou Cisse was missing midfielders Idrissa Gueye (suspended) and Cheikhou Kouyate (injured) from the match against England’s Everton and Nottingham Forest, respectively.
But Senegal’s biggest loss will be Bayern Munich forward Mane, who was injured in the final Bundesliga match before the World Cup. Mane was a close second to Karim Benzema in the most recent Ballon d’Or voting, and his absence would be felt by any team.
Senegal performed well in Qatar despite Mane’s absence. As tournament debutants, they were defeated by Netherlands, but subsequent wins over Qatar and Ecuador put them in the round of 16. Mane, as a result, is pleased with the results his country’s team has achieved.
Mane posted on Instagram, “Dear Brothers, you have fallen into arms.” “The people of Senegal are very proud of your journey, and your dignified defense of the national flag has soothed the hearts of the country and its supporters. Persevere in your education and I wish you the best of luck. Inshallah, we plan to hunt for more trophies.”
Since Cisse took over in 2015, Senegal has seen unprecedented success. They won the Africa Cup of Nations in February, beating Egypt and Mohamed Salah in the finals to qualify for their second World Cup.
As a team, led by Mane, they advanced to the final of the 2019 AFCON. The Liverpool legend currently holds the record for goals scored by a Senegalese national team player with 34. Both Henri Camara and Gueye have scored 99 goals for their respective national teams.
Mane hopes that getting in shape for the second half of the season will help him forget about his disappointing World Cup performance. After having surgery in November to reattach a tendon to the head of his right fibula, it is unknown when the forward will be able to return to playing condition (leg).
Sadio Mane had successful surgery on Thursday night with the help of Professor Christian Fink and Dr. Andy Williams from London, according to a statement released by Bayern.
“The procedure involved the reattachment of a tendon to the top of his right fibula. The FC Bayern forward will now begin his rehabilitation in Munich, making him unavailable to play for Senegal at the World Cup.”