Sadio Mane Explains Impact of AFCON 2021 Success on Senegal, Predicts Tough Tourney in Ivory Coast

• Sadio Mane has opened up ahead of AFCON 2023
• The Senegal forward insists it will be tough for the Teranga Lions to defend their title
• Senegal won the AFCON U17, U20, and the CHAN tournament in the last year

Al-Nassr forward, Sadio Mane has attributed Senegal's success in football in recent years to their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations triumph.

The victory in Cameroon last year sparked a run for Senegalese football as the various national teams emerged champions at the different tournaments on the continent.

The West African nation won the U17, U20, and the Championship of African Nations, as well as the beach soccer tournament.

Mane believes winning AFCON 2021 opened the door for their achievements.

"Winning AFCON made a big impact in a positive way for our football because afterward, we won almost every competition we go in," he told CAF's media.

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"The other categories which is great for our country. This means everything is possible," he added.

With a little over a month left for the Teranga Lions to begin the defence of their title, Mane insists they will have to work hard to win the tournament again.

"It won't be easy like I always say, we will be here to do our best. First of all, try to go through the first round, the second, third, and up till the end. However, we know it won't be easy, we know it will be tough and we will be ready for it," he continued.

"This will be the strongest since I started playing the Africa Cup of Nations because all the strong teams are here and their target is to win the cup and we will see what will happen."

Mane joined Al-Nassr in the summer transfer window after leaving Bayern Munich, as reported by the BBC.

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Sadio Mane buys French club

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Mane became the owner of Bourges Foot 18.

The Al-Nassr star completed the takeover of the club and was confirmed the majority stakeholder of the French outfit.

Mane becomes the latest footballer to buy a club after N'Golo Kante invested in Belgian third-tier side Royal Excelsior Virton.