Is Senegal turning the page on Sadio Mané?

Sadio Mané’s absence from Patrick Vieira’s first squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers is inevitably putting his future with the Lions at the centre of discussions. Last January, the striker announced that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations would be his last and explained that he wanted to remain with the national team through the 2026 World Cup. With the World Cup now over, his absence at the start of a new cycle therefore carries particular significance.

That said, there is still nothing to suggest that he is retiring from international football. Mané has not announced that he is ending his time with Senegal. Nor is his omission enough to definitively close that chapter. It simply comes at a time when the national team is entering a new phase.

After the Lions qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, in January 2026, Mané had been clear about the next stage of his career. That edition was to be his last Africa Cup of Nations. He then wanted to support the younger players through the 2026 World Cup before turning the page.

That deadline has now passed. The question is therefore being asked: will we see Sadio Mané in a Senegal shirt again? The answer remains open. For his first squad, Patrick Vieira chose to put together a team without one of the players who have shaped the national side over the past decade.

Senegal will begin its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Mozambique on 25 September in Maputo, before facing Ethiopia four days later. Mané will not take part in either match.

More than 14 years with the Lions

Sadio Mané made his Senegal debut in May 2012. Since then, he has played across several generations and established himself among the most important players in the history of the Lions. Before the 2026 World Cup, he had won 126 caps and scored 55 goals, according to figures from L’Équipe. He remains Senegal’s all-time leading scorer.

His image is, of course, closely associated with the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations triumph, held in Cameroon in 2022. In the final against Egypt, he scored the decisive penalty, giving Senegal the first continental title in its history. A few days earlier, he had also been named the tournament’s best player.

But his importance cannot be reduced to his statistics. Over the years, Mané has become one of the senior figures in the dressing room and a central figure of a generation that won the Africa Cup of Nations, reached another final and took part in several World Cups. His influence has accompanied the Lions’ main successes in recent years.

Koulibaly and Gana Gueye still present

The new cycle launched by Vieira is not without veterans. Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gana Gueye are included in the coach’s first squad and are continuing their careers with the Lions.

Édouard Mendy, meanwhile, has decided to step away. The goalkeeper announced his international retirement after winning 59 caps for Senegal, marking one of the most visible changes within this generation.

The squad therefore retains several familiar faces while welcoming new players. In this context, Mané’s absence naturally attracts attention. His status, his career and his own comments about the future of his international career give this omission particular significance.

For now, Sadio Mané has not officially closed the Senegal chapter. But after describing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as his last and the 2026 World Cup as his final major event with the Lions, his absence at the start of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers keeps alive a question that remains unanswered: is Mané’s story with Senegal really coming to an end?

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.

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