Senegal manager Aliou Cisse believes that Liverpool star Sadio Mane deserves to win the Ballon d’Or for his performances in the 2018/19 season.
The international coach believes that success at the African Cup of Nations’ would go some way to help the wide man in his claim for the prestigious award.
The former 27-year old played a pivotal role in Jurgen Klopp’s successful season last campaign, scoring a joint-top 22 Premier League goals in a year where Liverpool also claimed the Champions League title.
And after Luka Modric broke the ten year dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by claiming the gong last year, Cisse believes Mane has a rightful claim in doing the same thing this year.
When asked if it was Mane’s time to win the award (reported by Goal), Cisse, who previously played for Birmingham City and Portsmouth in the Premier League, said:
Why not? He has worked hard not only in the last year but since 2011, where I’ve known him to have great discipline and high professionalism. I followed him from his time in Austria and Southampton until he arrived at Liverpool.
What he has achieved this year is a result of great effort over many years and winning the AFCON will be an extension of those efforts. It will take him a step closer to the Golden Ball, which I think he deserves to win.
No one can dispute the abilities of Sadio Mane. He’s a world-class player and has proven as much.
