In Bambali, a village in the Casamance region of Senegal, there is a hospital and a school that did not exist before Sadio Mané became famous. He paid for them.
Mané was born in 1992 in Sédhiou and grew up in Bambali. His father, an imam, died when Mané was a boy, after the village had no hospital to treat his illness. Mané played football in the streets and, as a teenager, left home without telling his family to try his luck in Dakar.
From Dakar to Europe
In Dakar, he joined the Génération Foot academy, which had links with the French club Metz. He moved to Metz in 2011, then to Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, where he won the league and cup. In 2014, he joined Southampton in the Premier League and set a record for the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history, scoring three goals in under three minutes against Aston Villa in 2015.
Liverpool
In 2016, Liverpool signed him. Under Jürgen Klopp, Mané formed a devastating front three with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. He won the Champions League in 2019, the Premier League in 2020, as well as the Club World Cup, FA Cup and League Cup. He shared the Premier League Golden Boot in 2019 with Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Senegal’s hero
In February 2022, Senegal met Egypt in the final of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. After a goalless draw, the match went to penalties. Mané stepped up for the decisive kick and scored, giving Senegal its first Africa Cup title. Weeks later, he scored the penalty that sent Senegal to the 2022 World Cup, again against Egypt.
Giving back
Mané has funded a hospital, a secondary school, a mosque and other projects in Bambali. He has also given money to families in the village. He is famous for his modest lifestyle; a photo of him with a cracked phone circulated widely, and he has said he prefers to help people rather than buy luxury cars.
Later career
Mané joined Bayern Munich in 2022, winning the Bundesliga, and later moved to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He was named African Footballer of the Year in 2019 and 2022.
Legacy
For many African footballers, Mané is a model of success combined with humility and responsibility to home.
His father died because the village had no hospital. The village now has one, with his name on it.
