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| 08 July 2022, Bavaria, Munich: Soccer: Bundesliga, training FC Bayern Munich, newcomer Sadio Mané. |
Sadio Mane said he
was "honoured" to be crowned African Player of the Year for a second
time.
The Senegal
forward, 30, was named the continent's best player at an awards ceremony in
Rabat on Thursday.
Mane first won the
honour in 2019 while he was at Liverpool. He left the Premier League club last
month after signing a three-year deal with Bayern Munich.
"I am really
honoured and highly delighted to receive this award again," Mane said.
"Thanks to my
coaches, my club and national team colleagues and those friends who stood by me
during difficult times."
Mane was in the
Moroccan capital to receive the award after a dash across the Atlantic having
converted a penalty for his new club in a 6-2 pre-season friendly win over DC United in
Washington on Wednesday.
It was the second
successive continental player-of-the-year award for Mane after the coronavirus
pandemic forced the cancellation of the last two editions.
He won ahead of
former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah from Egypt and fellow Senegal international
and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Mane and Salah played pivotal roles last season with
Liverpool, who lifted the FA Cup and English League Cup and finished runners-up
in the Premier League and Champions League.
Salah has
since signed a new contract at Anfield while
Mane opted for a move, with Bayern reportedly paying a fee that could rise to
€41 million.
The duo have
engaged in an intense rivalry for their countries, with Salah's Egypt losing
out to Mane and Senegal in epic matches in the Africa Cup of Nations final and
World Cup finals eliminator.
Mane who came out
of both encounters victorious. Senegal secured their first Africa Cup of Nations title in
February when Mane converted from the spot to win a penalty shoot-out 4-2,
after the match finished goalless after extra-time.
The two teams
clashed again for a place in this year's World Cup finals in Qatar. Egypt won the first leg 1-0, thanks to Salah's goal, only for
Senegal to repeat the scoreline in the second leg to send the match into
another shoot-out. Once again it was left to Mane to score the decisive penalty
as Senegal won the latest spot-kick duel 3-1 in Dakar.
Born in a village
nearly 400 kilometres from Dakar, Mane attracted the attention of Metz having
played for local second-tier club Generation Foot.
After enhancing his
reputation at Salzburg in Austria, Mane joined Southampton, where his feats
included scoring a record-breaking 176-second Premier League hat-trick against
Aston Villa.
In mid-2016 the
Senegalese signed for Liverpool and went on to form a fearsome front three with
Salah and Brazilian Roberto Firmino.
Nigerian Asisat
Oshoala won the Women's Player of the Year a record fifth time, overtaking
compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha.
The 27-year-old
Barcelona forward was forced to miss the ongoing Women's Africa Cup of Nations
in Morocco due to an injury.
