Sadio Mane Finally Ruled out of Qatar 2022, Requires Surgery

Senegal forward Sadio Mane has been ruled out of the World Cup as he requires surgery on a knee injury he sustained playing for Bayern Munich.

On Tuesday, Senegal’s football federation said Mane, 30, would miss their “first games” at the tournament.

But a further MRI scan was completed on Thursday that showed surgical intervention is needed.

Mane was forced off during Bayern’s Bundesliga win over Werder Bremen on 8 November.

Senegal start their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on Monday. The West Africans are in Group A with games against hosts Qatar (25 November) and Ecuador (29 November) to follow.

Two-time African Footballer of the Year Mane is Senegal’s talisman, having scored the winning penalty when the Teranga Lions became continental championsfor the first time in February, defeating Egypt in a shoot-out in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Within two months Mane had repeated the feat, netting the decisive spot-kick as Senegal beat Egypt – in a game that again pitted him against then Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah – on penalties in a play-off to qualify for Qatar.