The news yesterday morning was unequivocal – Sadio Mane will miss the World Cup. The factors that published this were based on the tests the striker underwent at Bayern Munich. The medical team was optimistic immediately after the striker was replaced yesterday in the first half of a routine match against Werder Bremen, but a deeper examination showed damage to the tendon at the base of the tibia, and normal recovery from this type of injury takes three to four weeks. The conclusion from this is that Mane will not be able to take part in the World Cup.
However, in the evening, other assessments also appeared, according to which Mana will try to get additional opinions, speed up the recovery process and be fit after all. The doctors of the Senegal team said that they have not yet received all the details, and therefore cannot draw any conclusions. The issue of his participation in the World Cup is still open, then, and everything depends on the angle from which you look at it.
Because there are conflicting interests here. As far as Bayern is concerned, everything is completely clear, and for the German champion it is even a “blessing”. This type of injury is relatively minor and does not endanger the star provided he undergoes the appropriate treatments, and Mane should simply rest during the tournament in Qatar to return to the Bundesliga and the Champions League fresh and in excellent shape. His personal miss is unfortunate, but it’s a matter of luck, and he shouldn’t be teased now one more time.
On the other hand, as far as Mane is concerned, the dilemma is much more complex, mainly due to his deep commitment to his homeland. It is doubtful if there is a footballer in the world who attaches the utmost importance to his fans as he does. Even when he chose to leave Liverpool for Germany, he explained with a particularly strange excuse: “The fans in Senegal wanted me to move to Bayern”. Is this really true? It doesn’t really matter, because you get the impression that Mana believes in his heart’s desire, at least partially – and he wants to do his best for the audience.
Mana’s generosity knows no bounds. As someone who grew up in the most remote region of the country, he knows poverty first hand, and therefore uses his private wealth to establish schools and hospitals, establish an Internet network and restore the infrastructure. In his district, and in fact in Senegal as a whole, Mana is the most important contributor, and is directly responsible for the happiness of thousands. This is his mission, and it is also very valid on the field.
He is proud to be Senegal’s all-time great player, determined to make the nation happy in every game, and saw the sparkle in the people’s eyes when the team won the African Championship earlier this year. The adventure in the previous World Cup in Russia ended in a huge disappointment in being eliminated in the group stage on the face of yellow cards, and this time – after the historic achievement on the continent – there was huge optimism towards the attempt to make amends in Qatar.
The comfortable draw against the hosts, Holland and Ecuador in the group stage only strengthened the high expectations, because the Senegalese have a real chance to qualify for the round of 16, where they can meet Wales or the United States if luck is on their side. And if you reach the quarterfinals, like the heroes in 2002, the sky is the limit. Mane’s side could be within touching distance of an unprecedented run in the history of African football to the semi-finals. It’s not impossible, and Mane knows these huge hopes rest squarely on his shoulders. The thought of having it all come crashing down because of one unfortunate injury can be overwhelming.
Public pressure, and even political pressure, can be enormous these days. Mane is not the first to go through a similar experience, and it is enough to mention the sad case of Radamel Falcao who tore ligaments in his knee in January 2014 and raced against time to recover and be eligible for the World Cup in Brazil. The Colombian was then considered one of the best strikers in the world, everyone followed his attempts because the fans believed he was capable of bringing them glory, and even the president of the country came to visit the star in the hospital, wish him to meet the challenge, and then distribute the exciting photos to the media for PR purposes.
how did it end After a period of unrealistic illusions, it became clear at the beginning of June that the striker would miss the World Cup after all, but the damage caused by speeding up the recovery process was enormous. Falcao didn’t really feature on loan at Manchester United and Chelsea after this medical fiasco, and generally never got back to being the mighty quadrangle he was before the injury. It is possible, of course, that the injury to the knee would have affected him in the long run in any case, but this carelessness made the situation worse, and those who encouraged him to gamble on his health acted with appalling irresponsibility, especially when it was done for personal reasons.
The thing is that the World Cup is much less important for the players themselves compared to the past. It used to really be the most important stage of all, especially for players from small countries who saw the World Cup as the ultimate showcase. This is no longer the case, and stars who play in the top leagues in Europe compete at a much higher level on a weekly basis than in the national team. International soccer is fading, and FIFA is doing its best to kill it by awarding it to countries like Qatar, and then expanding it to 48 teams.
Mane, a superstar by any standards, who finished second in the 2022 Ballon d’Or poll, really doesn’t need the World Cup to prove anything or cement his legacy. He has already won the Champions League and the English Championship, was the top scorer in the Premier League, and is expected to win the German Championship this year as well. A few games in a strange winter tournament in Qatar will change almost nothing, and it’s absolutely no reason to risk your health and future career, but the urge can be very strong.
This urge stems from personal reasons, because an international tournament is a social experience with friends from the national team. Mane is enjoying leading them as captain, and he really doesn’t feel like missing out on this adventure to see it all on TV. But the real pressure comes from outside. The fear of disappointing the public is great, and with a high probability here too the politicians will join the picture to cut a coupon at the expense of the most popular and loved person in the country. They will wish him a speedy recovery, but they don’t really care about him. The consequences of medical negligence are of no interest to anyone. They just want to see Mane play in the World Cup – and that’s it. What will happen next? We’ll see.
And here is the place to clarify that when it comes to health, every athlete must be very selfish. He must not consider the wishes of others when he makes decisions that could destroy his body and harm his future career. If the minimum recovery period from an injury is about three weeks, then that is the situation, and you have to put up with it. Mane should only listen to the instructions of objective doctors, perform all the treatments and ensure a full recovery before he steps on the grass again in a competitive game.
Luckily for him, and luckily for Senegal, that still doesn’t mean he has to miss the entire tournament. The captain can be included in the squad, and if all goes well there is a possibility that he will return to action on November 29, when Senegal will play the last match of the group stage against Ecuador. On paper, this may be the meeting that will decide the fate of qualifying for the round of 16, and Mane may be able to contribute even then. If not – he will have to hope that his friends will do the job without him in the group stage, and then he will join the campaign only in the knockout stage. This is also something – the main thing is not to endanger oneself at all.