By coming second, Senegal and Bayern Munich star, Sadio Mane has made history as the first African footballer to finish in the final three of the Ballon d’Or since 1996 when George Weah became the first and so far only African to win the prestigious accolade. Mane beat Belgium midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne to second place in the 2022 Balon d’Or, losing out the ultimate to French player of Algerian descent Karim Benzema. In the year under review, Sadio Mane won the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal and won the Carabao and FA cups with Liverpool. He was also heavily involved in Liverpool’s run to the final of the UEFA Champions League and a good run in the Premier League which saw them lose out to Manchester City. In 51 games played for Liverpool last season, Sadio Mane scored 23 goals and racked up five assists in all competitions. At the event held in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Sadio Mane also won the Socrates Award for his charity works. The Senegalese has become the first winner of the award that seeks to reward players for their activities off the pitch. Last year, Sadio Mané inaugurated a brand new hospital in his home village of Bambaly in Casamance, western Senegal. In a few months span, he invested nearly a million dollars in the building of infrastructure, including a school. The Bayern Munich winger offers each family in the village a monthly support package of almost $70 and has also awarded nearly $400 bonus to the top pupils in the village high school.

Sadio Mané is the first African player since 1995 #BallonDor winner George Weah to finish among the top 3 pic.twitter.com/gQhiStbvmx— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) October 17, 2022