Sad Reason Sadio Mane Refused to Play For Senegal Against England in International Friendly

• Sadio Mane was notably absent as Senegal stunned England with a 3-1 win in their June 10 international friendly
• The former Liverpool forward had requested to miss both the clash against the Three Lions and the earlier 1-1 draw with Ireland
• In his absence, the Teranga Lions stepped up impressively to seal a historic and memorable victory at Nottingham City Ground

Sadio Mane chose to skip a reunion with his former Liverpool teammates as Senegal faced England on Tuesday night.

The Lions of Teranga made history by becoming the first African nation to defeat England, securing a commanding 3-1 victory at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.

How Senegal beat England in Nottingham

England suffered a historic 3-1 defeat to Senegal in a friendly, marking their first-ever loss to an African nation.

The Three Lions started brightly, when Harry Kane scoring his 73rd international goal just seven minutes in.

However, Senegal quickly responded with Ismaila Sarr who equalised before halftime with a well-taken finish.

After the break, Senegal continued to grow in confidence and took the lead just past the hour mark through Habib Diarra, who slipped the ball through Dean Henderson’s legs.

England pushed for a late equaliser and thought they had it when Jude Bellingham found the net from a corner, but the goal was controversially ruled out for a handball by Levi Colwill.

In stoppage time, Senegal sealed their famous victory when Cheikh Sabaly struck a third past Henderson.

The defeat marked Thomas Tuchel’s first loss as England manager, but what made Senegal’s win even more remarkable was the absence of their most iconic player.

Sadio Mane was notably missing from Pape Thiaw’s squad in Nottingham, yet the Lions of Teranga still delivered a historic victory.

Why Sadio Mane didn’t feature against England

According to talkSPORT, Mane missed Senegal’s clash with England due to personal reasons, having opted out of the June international break.

The Al Nassr forward requested to be excused following a wave of criticism and online abuse over his recent displays for the national team.

Mane was reportedly disheartened after being targeted by harsh trolling in the aftermath of Senegal’s World Cup qualifiers in March.

Despite starting both matches—a goalless draw against Sudan and a 2-0 win over Togo—he failed to score, prompting backlash from some fans.

As a result, Mane's request to miss both the 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland on Friday and the clash against England was reluctantly approved.

Sadio Mane's 2024/25 season in numbers

Mane has found it difficult to recapture the electric form he displayed at Liverpool. After a short and underwhelming spell at Bayern Munich, Mane made the switch to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

There, he's often played second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo, operating more in the background.

Despite the challenges, Mane still managed to contribute significantly, scoring 18 goals and registering 14 assists across all competitions, according to data from Transfermarkt.

Mane welcomes first child

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Senegalese football icon Mane and his wife Aisha Tamba have reportedly welcomed their first child together in Saudi Arabia.

The former Liverpool star married Ms Tamba when she was 18 in January 2023 but had to wait till she completed her education to move her to Saudi Arabia, where he plies his trade with Al Nassr.

Source: YEN.com.gh