Sadio Mané to Miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup – Senegal Confirms

Senegalese football sensation – Sadio Mané has been ruled out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to injury as confirmed by FC Bayern München and Senegal Football Body – Fédération Sénégalaise de Football.

Sadio Mané will not be able to be part of the squad as he’s not recovering from his injury. The Senegalese and Bayern Munich forward was injured a week ago in a German league game between Bayern and Werder Bremen. He was substituted in the 20th minute of Bayern’s 6-1 win. Bayern said the two-time African player of the year has an injury to the head of the fibula bone in his lower right leg.

Sadio Mané Injured in Bayern vs Werder Bremen Game

Most of Senegal’s squad arrived in Qatar for the World Cup on Sunday without Mané. The team’s first game in Qatar against the Netherlands is on Monday but Mané was still waiting for more tests by the Bayern medical team.

Senegal, the reigning African champion, plays host Qatar four days after it faces the Netherlands. Its final game in Group A is against Ecuador on Nov. 29.

Mané was named in Senegal’s 26-man World Cup squad last week by coach Aliou Cissé, who said at the time that Senegal was hopeful Mané might still be ready for the start of the tournament. But Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann had cast doubt on Friday on Mané’s participation when he said the player would be sidelined for at least another 10 days even before follow-up tests to determine the precise extent of the injury.

“It’s obvious that Senegal would like him to play,” Nagelsmann said. “But if he’s in pain, he can’t play. The medical things are more important than the sporting ones. That’s the case with us and also with everyone else.”

Senegal won its first major title at the African Cup in February, when Mané scored the winning penalty in a shootout to beat Egypt in the final. Mané also scored the winning penalty in a playoff that sealed a place for Senegal in Qatar.

Senegal—with Mané—is rated by many as the best African side to ever go to a World Cup. However, Mané’s dream of playing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been crushed and it is a huge blow for Senegal and the fans. This was confirmed after he underwent successful surgery in Innsbruck on Thursday evening, facilitated by Bayern Munich.

We are wishing him a speedy recovery…