Edouard Mendy's Heartwarming Reception in Senegal After Winning Champions League

• Edouard Mendy is nearing Chelsea's exit after reaching an agreement with Saudi club Al-Ahli
• The Senegalese won the UEFA Champions League in his first season in blue
• He was the first African goalkeeper to win the prestigious competition

Edouard Mendy will remember his time at Chelsea for good, regardless of how short it was, as he nears an emotional exit from Stamford Bridge.

Mendy was signed from Rennes for £22m in the summer of 2020 and instantly became number 1, displacing Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who had faltered woefully in the previous season.

He became an instant fan-favourite in London and helped the club win the 2021 UEFA Champions League under Thomas Tuchel, keeping nine clean sheets in 12 games, a competition record.

The Senegalese lost his place to Kepa last season, coinciding with a loss of form, injury and contract dispute with the club, which made him a candidate to be shipped out after three years.

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Mendy makes African history

According to ESPN UK, the 31-year-old was the first African goalkeeper to win the Champions League and received a hero’s welcome back home in Dakar.

He visited his home country during the summer of 2021, and both kids and adults welcomed him as he shared multiple high-fives with his people who were chanting his name ‘Mendy! Mendy!’.

He capped it in his second season with the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and the African Cup of Nations, even though he lost the Carabao and FA Cup finals to national team captain Sadio Mane’s Liverpool.

His fortune began to dwindle after the tournament in Abu Dhabi, never really recovered and is now set for an exit after reaching an agreement with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, as reported by Sun Sport.

Mendy the one-season wonder

Sports Brief listed Mendy as a Premier League one-season wonder after shining spectacularly for just one season since his move to London and failing to hit the heights afterwards.

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Ghanaian legend Asamoah Gyan, who announced his professional retirement days ago after two years without active football, also featured on the list after just one season at Sunderland.

South African legend Benni McCarthy and Zimbabwean forward Benjani Mwaruwari are the other former African stars to feature on the list.