It was the news nobody in Bambali or the rest of Senegal had wanted to hear. A statement from Bayern Munich’s medical team on Thursday, confirming Sadio Mané would play no part in the World Cup after a tendon had been reattached to the head of his right fibula during an operation in Austria, was the realisation of their worst fears.
The absence of the forward who became only the second African player to finish in the top three at the Ballon d’Or last month has been a bitter pill to swallow for a football‑crazy nation that had been daring to dream. The coach, Aliou Cissé, and his players must now face the Netherlands in their opening match on Monday and the remainder of the tournament in Qatar without him.
