Sadio Mane: ‘The best team doesn’t always win the AFCON, Senegal is proof’

Sadio Mané, Senegal star, believes that winning the Africa Cup of Nations is not always linked to the best national team, pointing out that he has enough experience due to his sixth participation in the tournament.

Senegal reached the quarter-finals of AFCON 2025 after beating Sudan 3-1 and will face Mali on Friday for a spot in the semifinals.

Sadio Mané said in statements to ON Sport channel:

“This is part of football. The further we progress in the Africa Cup of Nations, the pressure increases, but today I have enough experience to deal with this type of pressure, especially in the Africa Cup of Nations, because this is my sixth participation.”

He added:

“For me, it is easy and not easy at the same time. I try to deal with the situation calmly, because putting pressure on ourselves does not help us, and we must deal positively, especially when we have young players behind us. It is important to show our character and show our readiness for this type of matches, whether in preparation, in training, or from the first minute of the match.”

The Senegal player explained:

“When young players see these positive signals, they will follow you as a leader and as an experienced player, and this is the role I try to play in order to qualify.”

He continued:

“In Africa, there are national teams that are candidates to win the title, and I believe we are among them, but with my experience I always tell the players to remain calm no matter what happens, because the best team does not always win this tournament. The proof is that we played well more than once and saw the results in the end. Playing well is important, but it is not the most important thing at the moment. What matters now is focus and dealing with the tournament match by match, because the Africa Cup of Nations is not easy, and what matters is winning, not how.”

He went on to say:

“In 2017 we played well and were eliminated in the quarter-finals, and in 2023 the same thing happened, while in 2021 we almost exited in the group stage but won the title, so nothing surprises me today.”

Before concluding:

“What matters most at the moment is the mentality in this decisive stage, and it must be at the highest level, and we must remain calm no matter what happens. We have very experienced players such as Idrissa Gueye, Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy, and this helps us a lot. Expectations are big, and we know that we are capable of delivering the best. We are not at our full level yet, but we keep winning, and we can reach 100% at the right time.”

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