Sadio Mane Celebrated by Al-Nassr After AFCON Triumph

Upon his return to Al-Nassr, Sadio Mane was warmly greeted by his teammates, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who celebrated the occasion with hugs and a special cake in honor of Senegal’s recent triumph in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Mane played a pivotal role in Senegal’s historic second AFCON victory, contributing two goals and three assists as they lifted the trophy. Al-Nassr orchestrated a special welcome for the 33-year-old, sharing a video on their X account that captured Mane reuniting with his club mates and head coach, Jorge Jesus, under the caption: “Welcoming back our champion, Sadio Mane. The Nassr way.” Ronaldo, as part of the celebration, took the honor of cutting the cake to commemorate Mane’s success in the tournament.

Now, Mane aims to inspire Al-Nassr to achieve domestic success this season. The club currently sits four points behind league leaders Al-Hilal, who also have a game in hand over Jesus’ squad. Al-Nassr faced a challenging period during Mane’s absence, enduring a four-game winless streak that included three losses, causing them to lose ground in the title race.

However, the team has recently regained their form, securing consecutive victories against Al-Shabab and Damac, revitalizing their domestic campaign. Ronaldo shone in their 2-1 win over Damac, scoring his 16th league goal of the season, thus leading the race for the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot. In pursuit of him is Al-Qadsiah striker Julian Quinones, who has netted 15 goals, while Ivan Toney and Roger Martinez have each scored 14 this season.

With an eye on a third consecutive league win, Al-Nassr will face Al-Taawoun in a pivotal match on Monday evening. Al-Taawoun trails Al-Nassr by two points in the standings, having won only two of their last five matches.