Sadio Mane Breaks Silence After Senegal Suffer AFCON Elimination, Claims Football is Cruel

• Sadio Mane has reacted to Senegal's AFCON defeat
• Senegal have been eliminated from the tournament
• The AFCON champions lost to hosts Cote d'Ivoire

Sadio Mane has expressed disappointment following Senegal's Africa Cup of Nations exit at the Round of 16 in Cote d'Ivoire.

The African champions were knocked out of the tournament by the host nation on penalties after a pulsating 1-1 in full-time.

Mane, who created the assist for an early opener for the Teranga Lions, which was converted by Habib Diallo, insists they could not take their chances.

According to the Al-Nassr star, the game is cruel but admitted the best team won after Cote d'Ivoire sailed through to the quarter-final at the expense of the champions.

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"Football is cruel. The God of football was not with us tonight. We gave everything, we did what we had to, even if I think we could have killed the match. But that is not the case, but overall I will say that the best won," he told Wiw Sport.

Mane had a decent tournament, scoring a goal and delivering three assists in four matches for the West African giants.

The 31-year-old is expected to return to Saudi Arabia to begin preparations ahead of the resumption of the league.

Al-Nassr have lined up a friendly against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in Riyadh on Thursday, as reported by ESPN.

Ronaldo sends Mane message at AFCON

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Cristiano Ronaldo followed the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire due to the involvement of his Al-Nassr teammate, Mane.

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The five-time Ballon d'Or winner rejoined his Al-Nassr teammates last week as preparations began ahead of the resumption of the Saudi Pro League.

The league went on a break for the Asian Cup, which is currently ongoing in Qatar, with Saudi Arabia in the knockout stage of the tournament.

Senegal suffers AFCON elimination

Sports Brief also reported that Senegal have been eliminated from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a penalty shootout defeat to Ivory Coast.

Saudi-based Franck Kessie scored a penalty to force the game into extra time before netting the match-winner during the spot kicks.

The Elephants scraped into the knockout phase with the worst record of the four best third-placed sides to advance, after finishing the first round with a humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea, their heaviest-ever home defeat.