10 years is not a long time, but enough to change the fate of a person. That’s the story of Sadio Mane, who, without a decent pair of shoes after running away from home 10 years ago, becomes a superstar with enough fortune to buy shoes for his 15 million native Senegalese.
In the early 2010s, a reporter came to cover Metz, the French second division team. There, there was a player who attracted special attention by bowing in Japanese style to anyone. And when he saw the camera, he asked the reporter if he could take a picture to send back to his mother’s hometown?
Of course. It was his first photograph in Europe. Then the reporter asked for an email to send photos, it took a while for him to understand what “email” was, then said no and gave the club email address. While the reporter was recording, he timidly asked: “I don’t have to pay for it, do I?”.
At that time Sadio Mane had just arrived in Europe from the poor countryside of Senegal. All were strangers, and he was penniless.
First European photo by Sadio Mane.
… A short time before that, Mane was still living in Bambali, a small village deep in the south of Senegal. This place no one plays football. Either because there is no TV to watch, or because the difficult life causes them to spend most of their time looking for food.
It is quite understandable that Mane’s parents want him to have a good education so that he can later follow in his father’s footsteps and become an Imam, who worships in the village mosque. At every meal, they always talk about the fools who pursued the career of football and then couldn’t have a decent life.
Mane just loves football. As he puts it, “I don’t know why, but from the age of 3 or 4 I knew I was going to be a player”. And the only thing that made him interested in going to school was that the school held a football tournament. But sitting on the school chair, Mane was always restless like an ant biting under his butt, just waiting for the bell to end to run out to the village clearing to play football.
Sadio Mane is a devout man, and would have become an Imam if he hadn’t been a footballer.
Mane’s passion was so great that, if he didn’t have to go to school, except for a little time to sleep, he devoted himself entirely to football. There’s not even a gap for a shower. When someone complains why is it always stinking? Mane replied: “Oh, wait until you’re famous, then you can take a bath.”
One day, Mane told his parents about his intention to drop out of school to focus on football. They said he was crazy. Then ignore it, because it is just a moment of impulsiveness of the son. To pursue football, the only way is to go to the capital Dakar. And Dakar is too far away.
But Mane wasn’t joking. One day, he secretly threw a few clothes into his pocket and waited until evening, hiding in the weeds in front of the house. Early the next morning, around 6 a.m., without even brushing my teeth or showering, I started to pack my bags and leave.
Mane is a symbol of reaching success through steadfastly pursuing dreams.
Without money, Mane had to walk for a long time. It was not until he met a close friend that he asked for some money to catch a bus to Dakar. Arriving there, Mane stayed at a stranger’s house and went to a training center, competing with 300 other boys.
Welcoming Mane was laughter. It had to be because Mane didn’t look like someone who was ready to play football, with his rumpled trousers that didn’t show up in pants or shorts and his ragged shoes, sole and toe held together with nylon straps.
The laughter died down as Mane played. The coaches were immediately convinced. Mane’s adventure officially begins.
Meanwhile at home, parents look for Mane everywhere. After flipping through Bambali, they still couldn’t find him, they remembered his best friend, pressured and questioned him. Finally there is an answer. His parents took a car to Dakar with the intention of dragging their wayward son back.
Now Mane could laugh about his reckless decision to run away from home.
Feeling deeply ashamed to return to Bambali as a failure, Mane begged him to stay until the training was over. No way, parents reluctantly agreed. And they were wrong, because during that time, Metz (France) discovered and brought Mane to Europe.
Looking back a decade, Mane might be surprised he’s come this far. After Metz, he went to Red Bull Salzburg (Austria), Southampton (England) and now Liverpool (England). 2019 was a memorable year, as Mane became the European champion and won the 2018/19 Premier League Golden Boot. Also in the calendar year 2019, Mane has scored 39 goals (30 goals and 9 assists), more than Mohamed Salah and other teammates at Liverpool.
In football, success always comes with money. And when there is money, many players are tempted by a life of luxury and enjoyment. Mane is different. He just needed a house to live in, a car to go.
After 10 years, Mane transformed his family’s tattered hut into a huge house.
“Why should I have 10 Ferraris, 20 diamond-encrusted watches or some airplanes? It doesn’t make me happier. I was illiterate, destitute, had to work in the fields and play. barefoot soccer.
Today, with those legs, I have everything. But I don’t need luxury cars, big houses, and other flashy gadgets. Now is the time to help people. I like to share my good life with people who are still struggling.
So I built schools, stadiums, brought clothes, shoes, food, even provided 70 euros (about 1.8 million VND) a month for the hungry,” Mane confided.
An admirable thought. And in the next 10 years, Mane will definitely be a legend, and there will be many more Mane appearing thanks to his own wings.
