Medical Doctor Remembers How He Possibly Saved Bayern Munich and Senegal Star Sadio Mane's Life

Medical Doctor Remembers How He Possibly Saved Bayern Munich and Senegal Star Sadio Mane's Life

Keba Mothoagae
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:11 PM
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  • A medical doctor has relived the night he potentially saved the life of Senegal's talisman Sadio Mane
  • The South African Football Association's chief medical officer Dr. Thulani Ngwenya attended to the stricken Mane at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in January
  • He said that he had to overrule the medical staff during the Lions of Teranga's match against the Cape Verde Islands

A terrible fate could have befallen Sadio Mane had it not been for the insistence of a South African doctor.

Dr. Thulani Ngwenya, the South African Football Association's chief medical officer, had to intervene after the Bayern Munich star was injured during the Lion of Teranga's match against the Cape Verde Islands at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon earlier this year.

sadio mane, thulani ngwenya, safa, senegal, cape verde, collision, 2021 africa cup of nations, concussion, cameroon, bayern munich, liverpool
Sadio Mane after colliding with Vozinha. Dr Thulani Ngwenya refused to allow him to continue playing after that.
Source: UGC

According to TimesLIVE, Ngwenya stepped outside his official designation as the tournament's doping control officer after Mane had a sickening clash with Verdan goalkeeper Vozinha at the Olembe Stadium on 24 January in Yaoundé.

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He said:

“I was sitting in the VIP tribune and had my people helping me with doping control doing their things down there. Then I saw the header [and head clash] of Sadio with the goalkeeper. He went down and went out. There's something tricky there — he was out for a few seconds.
"[Medical] colleagues came in, they assessed him, they said, 'No, go back and play'. Sadio went and scored the goal that took Senegal to the net stage of the competition. “But Sadio was still concussed. Because I saw what happened I had to rush down, but when I got there they were already celebrating a goal.
“I spoke to the fourth official to say: 'Sadio is not fine, and I understand the colleagues took a decision but I cannot as a Caf [Conferedation of African Football] representative stand there and allow that to happen. The match officials understood that and I used a bit of authority and stopped the game. I went in, called the doctors from Senegal, and said, 'He needs to go out'.
“Fortunately they agreed. Sadio pulled out and we found out he was concussed. Liverpool was grateful and sent messages thanking us for saving Sadio.”

Sadio Mane spends almost 2 hours signing autographs for Bayern Munich supporters in lovely gesture

Sadio Mane has become a fan favourite in Germany less than 2 months after joining Bayern Munich following his blistering start to his Bundesliga career.

As reported by Sports Brief, Mane has had an immediate connection to the Bayern Munich supporters and the forward signed over 1000 autographs during the club’s opening training session.

The Senegalese forward has now earned the plaudits from supporters and football enthusiasts after spending 105 minutes signing autographs for some Bayern Munich supporters.

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