Liverpool star picks up prestigious national award for the third time in a row

 

Nominated as one of the five potential winners of the African Ballon d’Or, Sadio Mané got an early Christmas present on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old, transferred to Liverpool by Jürgen Klopp over the summer, has started his time at his new club fantastically, and earned the award of ‘Best Senegalese footballer’, as voted by his country’s local press, in results published on SudOnline.

This isn’t the first time the forward has won the award, nicknamed the ‘Ballon d’Or Sénégalais’, or ‘BOS’, having also won it in 2014 and 2015.

Picking up 210 points, Jürgen Klopp’s new protégé more than doubled the total of the runner-up, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly (103 points), while West Ham’s Cheikhou Kouyaté, who also happens to be Senegal’s captain, came third with 34 points.

Also the most expensive African footballer of all time, Sadio Mané will pick up his trophy on the 17th of December during a gala at the Daniel Sorano national theatre in Dakar, Senegal’s capital city.

The Senegal international has made 12 appearances since arriving at Anfield for £35m from Southampton, scoring six goals and picking up four assists along the way.