AFCON 2021: Mane, Mendy and Aboubakar wins individual gongs

Senegal national team forward, Sadio Mane has emerged as the Most Valuable Player, MVP of the just ended 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament held in Cameroon.

The 29-year-old received the distinction after the final game of the 33rd edition of the biennial African football festival held at the Yaounde Olembe Stadium on Sunday February 6, 2022.

The Liverpool forward grabbed the honor after inspiring Senegal to its maiden crown in the continent’s premier football event.

Mane scored three goals for the Coach Aliou Cisse led Senegalese team. He scored the team’s opening goal of the tournament against the Warriors of Zimbabwe before also striking against Cape Verde Islands in the round of 16 and Burkina Faso in the semifinal stage.

The former Southampton forward also contributed three assists for team captain, Kalidou Koulibaly and mates.

The 2019 African Player of the Year also scored the final penalty kick in Senegal’s 4-2 win against Egypt in the final of the 33rd AFCON competition as Senegal clinched the title after two failed attempts in 2002 in Mali and 2019 in Egypt.

Sadio Mane joins the ranks of the likes of Ismael Bennacer who won the MVP award at the end of the 32nd edition held in Egypt in 2019 and Cameroon’s Christian Bassogog who grabbed the award in 2017.

Meanwhile, the Teranga Lions goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy has ended the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2021 with a high as Best Goalkeeper while Cameroon Indomitable Lions forward and team captain, Vincent Aboubakar has won the Golden Boot Award.

Aboubakar scored 8 goals to power the host to a third place finish in the football festival.