“Why would I want ten Ferraris, twenty diamond watches and two planes? I was very hungry, I had to work in the fields. I played football in bare feet. By earning money from football, I can help my people. I prefer my people to receive a little of what life has given me, “said Mané in a recent interview with the Senegalese station TeleDakar.
The feelings of charity and the desire to become a famous player who will provide for his family and loved ones in need ignited Mané’s poor circumstances in which he grew up. He included the untimely death of a beloved father who died due to inadequate medical care. Little Sadio was then seven years old.
Some time ago he built a school in his native Bambali and a hospital was completed in 2020. “My sister was also born at home because there was no hospital in our village. It was a very difficult situation for everyone. That’s why I wanted to build a hospital to give people hope, “said Mané, 30.
However, his charity does not end there. He sends two thousand crowns a month to dozens of families in the poorest region of Senegal, and the same amount to every Bambali family during Ramadan.
They try to make the difficult life of their fellow countrymen more enjoyable in other ways. For example, in February he paid fifty Senegalese fans to go to Cameroon for the Africa Cup of Nations final against Egypt. Together they could enjoy a historic triumph. Mané has satisfied the residents of Bambali even after the last season. He played a game with his childhood friends on the muddy pitch, where as a boy he ran with a maroon.
The journey to Mané’s fame began in this very place. He then moved on to the Génération Foot academy, at the age of fifteen he was chosen by the French Mets. Red Bull Salzburg bought it from there in 2012 for 390 million crowns. After two years, he was hired by Southampton, then by Liverpool.
He spent six successful seasons at Anfield, helping the Reds triumph in the Champions League and Premier League. In 259 games with Liverpool, Mané has scored 115 goals. Bayern bought him in the summer for almost SEK 800 million. Pilsen scored a goal a week ago in Munich. Can the Victorians take him out on Wednesday?
