Teranga Lions of Senegal coach Aliou Cissé told www.aclsports.com “I had no single doubt that the award was going to my player Sadio Mane. He had an awesome season and was also on the top list of the Ballon d’Or. That alone showed he worked very hard last year,”
Aliou Cissé from Hurgada were the ceremony was held
Sadio Mane was named African Footballer of the Year in Egypt on Tuesday, with his national team coach urging the Liverpool star to emulate his compatriot El Hadji Diouf by winning one or two more CAF flagship awards to seal a continental status.
Mane was the top favourite for the accolade but had to fight off competition from Algeria captain Ryan Mahrez, who won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, and Mohamed Salah, who won the prize last year.
“But, I don’t want him to end there. I want him to win one or two more African Footballer of the Year award like his elder El Hadji Diouf did in 2001 and 2002. Doing that would make him a continental icon. I feel Mane is not enjoying the consideration he deserves based on his immense talent. The CAF award could change that.”
Cissé missed out on the African Coach of the Year award which went to Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi.
