Sadio Mane scored a hat-trick as Senegal beat Benin 3-1 in the opening match of their Africa Cup of Nations title defense on Saturday and indicated he will not be at Liverpool next season.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Group L match, Mane said, “I will do what they (the people of Senegal) want.
“Like everyone else, I’m on social media and see the comments. Isn’t it between 60 and 70 percent that the people of Senegal want me to leave Liverpool?
Mane, who forms a deadly strike partnership with two-time African Footballer of the Year Mohamed Salah from Egypt, has been linked with German giants Bayern Munich.
He had said he would reveal his future plans after Liverpool’s loss to Real Madrid in last weekend’s Champions League final, but did not.
“We will see soon,” he said at a media conference in Senegal. “Don’t rush because we’ll see it together.”
The 30-year-old African Footballer of the Year converted a 12th-minute penalty at the national stadium in Diamandio, near Dakar.
Mane struck again on 23 minutes, burst into the box and scored in the second attempt after goalkeeper Saturnin Allagabe blocked his opening shot.
Benin sent off Ceci d’Almeida early in the second half of the 2023 qualifiers and Mane completed his hat-trick on the hour from another penalty, before Junior Olyton reduced the balance.
Next Tuesday for Senegal is a trip to Rwanda, and it’s hard to imagine any outcome other than another win for the Teranga Lions.
Rwanda drew 1–1 from Mozambique and are second only to Senegal and ahead of Benin, who was guided by caretaker Moussa Latoundji after the departure of French coach Michel Dussier.
dream debut
Eric Chele, whose coaching experience has been limited to French lower-league clubs, had a dream start as the boss of Mali, who beat Congo Brazzaville 4–0 in Bamako.
Mohamed Kamara put Mali ahead with just one minute on the clock and they were four goals ahead of half-time as El Bilal Toure scored twice and Kalifa Koulibaly scored once.
Mali top Group G on goal difference from The Gambia, who beat South Sudan 1–0 via a goal from Ebeli Jolo at the end of the opening half.
The Gambia made its debut in the Cup of Nations this year and defeated highly ranked Tunisia and Guinea and Mali before bowing to hosts Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
Algeria coach Jamel Belmadi made extensive squad changes after the then defending champions were knocked out of the Cup of Nations first round, then lost in 2022. World Cup play-off against Cameroon.
Among those was West Ham United forward Said Benrahma, while Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez, Desert Fox’s captain, missed with an undisclosed injury.
Despite the introduction of young blood, it was an old hand – centre-back Aisa Mandi – that set up a 2–0 Group F win over Uganda in Algiers.
Islam Slimani nodded a free-kick against the crossbar and the rebound hit the Villarreal defender’s shoulder and fell into the net after 28 minutes.
A boost by Jorge Mavigomole in the first minute was not enough to produce a win for Tanzania in the same group, which Niger forced a 1–1 draw through Daniel Sosa.
In other matches, Mauritania beat Sudan 3–0, Namibia and Burundi 1–1 and the match between Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon started four hours late.
A jet carrying a Gabonese delegation from Paris to Kinshasa developed problems and had to make an emergency landing in Barcelona.
On Sunday, Salah-inspired Egypt hosted Guinea, while Qatar World Cup qualifiers Ghana and Tunisia are away from the Central African Republic and Botswana, respectively.
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