For many African footballers, Sadio Mané is an idol, such has been his success in the world of football, reaching unimaginable heights at Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp’s tutelage.
It’s even more the case for Senegalese players, who can look up to the winger as an example of how to dedicate yourself to the craft in order to achieve your goals.
That’s the case for Ousmane Ndong, who took the unusual route of swapping his native Senegal for Argentina, where he recently made his first appearance for Lanus.
Becoming the first from his country to play in the south American nation, the centre-back is proud of what he’s achieved, and certainly wants to use it as a platform to reach greater heights, including playing in the national team.
Doing so would allow him to learn alongside some great footballers, such as Kalidou Koulibaly and the aforementioned Sadio Mané, whom Ndong has already met.
He told So Foot in France: “It’s been a while since I’ve seen him, but I’ve already played against him when he was at Génération Foot, a long time ago. Because I was so big, I was put up a few levels. He was already really quick, but he wasn’t the most technical or the best. When you see what he’s become, he’s an example”.
That shows the amount of work Mané has put him over the years to be where he is, and why so many look up to him for inspiration.
