In his sporting retirement, former Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor Sheyi confides some juicy stories. On Senegal’s triumph at the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, he confided in El-Hadji Diouf that he played a major role in easing tensions between Sadio Mané and coach Aliou Cissé just hours before the final.
The Lions of Teranga are about to reclaim the African Cup of Nations trophy they won in Cameroon in 2022. Long deprived of this major trophy in their history, the Senegalese finally got their hands on the CAN 2021 by beating Egypt on penalties. During this competition and this famous final, Senegal’s star striker Sadio Mané played a major role with his performances. A superstar in Aliou Cissé’s team, the Bambali native almost spoiled everything just hours before the final, as former Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor Sheyi reveals.
Adebayor’s anecdote about Mané at CAN 2021
In the Tam Tam programme on the Togo-based pan-African channel New Word Tv, the former 2008 Ballon d’Or winner spoke of the major role played by former players in a national selection or team. While Adebayor has been sidelined from the Togolese national team, where he is banned from approaching current players because of his loud mouth and views that do not sit well with his country’s sports officials, he has revealed the key role that former Senegal striker El-Hadji Ousseynou Diouf will play in his national team at the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
Considered to be the link between the old generation of footballers and the new, the former Liverpool player narrowly brought Sadio Mané to his senses after a minor tiff with coach Aliou Cissé a few hours before the final against Mohamed Salah’s Egypt. “We saw a bit of Senegal, who won the African Cup of Nations in 2022 in Cameroon, and I spoke about it with my best friend who is here, El Hadji Diouf, and he told me on the day of the final match that Sadio Mané was arriving late,” Adebayor said. Adebayor Sheyi began by saying.
“Diouf said to Mané: ‘put your ego aside and we’ll win’”
“So the coach, Aliou Cissé, is freaking out. You’re the captain, the boss, everyone’s watching you, and you’re the one who turns up late. So the two of them got into it, normally. Aliou Cissé went to see his friend, his former team-mate, El Hadji Diouf, and he said, “How do we deal with this? Because I can see that Sadio is upset, but if he’s upset just a few hours before the final, it complicates things,” continued Adebayor, recounting his chat with the former Lens player (2000-2002, 61 matches for 19 goals).
Continuing his revelations, Adebayor recounts the strong words of El Hadji Diouf, which undoubtedly had an effect on Mané. “Diouf left and said to him: ‘Yes, I understand that you’re upset. But don’t forget we’ve got a final. I’ve played in the African Cup of Nations, but I haven’t won a single one. Today, you have a huge chance. Put your ego aside if you really want to win this Africa Cup of Nations… If we lose tonight, tomorrow morning, history will be made, whether you like it or not.”
“An ex-international is always important for a team”
“So you have a choice, Sadio: either you pout, we lose tonight, the story comes out tomorrow and you defend yourself, or you pull yourself together, find the inner strength within yourself and come on. If you’re at 80%, I’m not even talking about being at 100%, it’s Senegal that takes the Cup. Tomorrow morning, the story is over, everyone will be talking about the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations won by Senegal with its front man, Sadio Mané. So that was the case, and I can tell you that sometimes, when you call on an ex-international, ex-captain or ex-player, it’s always important because he’s been through the tunnel,” added Adebayor.
In any case, the anecdote is juicy for football fans who experience the atmosphere surrounding their national team from afar. As Adebayor reveals, there is never a shortage of dressing room stories. And that’s normal in any group where people get together. The main thing is to know how to keep things running so as not to destroy the efforts made or the chances that cannot be made up for. Senegal had a narrow escape at the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
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