Eto’o Backs Mane For African Player Of The Year Honour

Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), believes Senegal star Sadio Mané is a strong contender to win the African Player of the Year Award for a second time. Mané previously claimed the prestigious accolade in 2021 after leading Senegal to their maiden AFCON title.

The forward repeated this triumph in 2025, guiding the Teranga Lions to another AFCON victory with a 1-0 win over Morocco in Rabat. In an interview with FRANCE24, the former Barcelona striker lauded Mané’s influence both on and off the pitch. Eto’o particularly highlighted Mané’s crucial role in calming his teammates during a tense moment when they threatened to walk off after a controversial late penalty was awarded to Morocco.

Eto’o stated: “Sadio Mané not only contributed to winning the tournament but also to saving the image of the national team, because leaving the pitch would have had very serious consequences for Senegal. Sadio is one of the greatest heroes of our continent, and I send him special respect for his morals and leadership qualities. I am honoured to consider him a friend, and his role in leading his teammates to victory was exceptional. I hope he achieves another African Footballer Of The Year because what he did, especially his behaviour yesterday, is the act of a great leader.