Sports
Qatar 2022: Senegal star Mane ruled out of World Cup
Sadio Mane, the Senegalese and Bayern Munich forward, has been ruled out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar due to a leg injury sustained in a Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen
Mane’s exclusion was announced in a tweet by Senegal’s football federation on Thursday.
Senegal’s football federation had earlier said Mane, 30, would miss their “first games” at the tournament.
But a further MRI scan was completed on Thursday that showed surgical intervention is needed.
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The player’s absence is a huge blow to Senegal’s chances in Qatar.
Senegal start their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on Monday. The West Africans are in Group A with games against hosts Qatar (25 November) and Ecuador (29 November) to follow.
Two-time African Footballer of the Year Mane is Senegal’s talisman, having scored the winning penalty when the Teranga Lions became continental champions for the first time in February, defeating Egypt in a shoot-out in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Within two months Mane had repeated the feat, netting the decisive spot-kick as Senegal beat Egypt – in a game that again pitted him against then Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah – on penalties in a play-off to qualify for Qatar.
The Teranga Lions will be aiming to surpass their quarter-final feat at the 2002 edition in Korea and Japan.