The Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) president Samuel Eto’o believes Senegal star Sadio Mane has done enough to win the Africa Footballer of the Year Award.

Recall that in 2021, the Senegal forward was crowned African Player of the Year after helping his country win the first AFCON title.

He repeated the same feat again in 2025 by leading the Teranga Lions to win the AFCON title after defeating Morocco 1-0 in the final on Sunday in Rabat.

In a chat with FRANCE24, the former Barcelona forward backed Mane as a strong contender for the African Footballer of the Year award.

He also praised Mané’s influence both on and off the field, most especially in a tense moment when his teammates threatened to walk off the pitch following a controversial late penalty awarded to Morocco after Brahim Diaz was fouled in the 18-yard box.

“Sadio Mane not only contributed to winning the tournament but also to saving the image of the national team, because leaving the pitch would have had very serious consequences for Senegal.

“Sadio is one of the greatest heroes of our continent, and I send him special respect for his morals and leadership qualities. I am honoured to consider him a friend, and his role in leading his teammates to victory was exceptional.

“I hope he achieves another African Footballer Of The Year because what he did, especially his behaviour yesterday, is the act of a great leader.”

Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has apologized following a controversial incident during his team’s 1-0 win over hosts Morocco on Sunday.

Thiaw briefly ordered his players to leave the pitch in protest after a penalty was awarded to Morocco’s Brahim Diaz, who had been pulled by Malick Diouf in the box.

According to Sky Sports on Monday, speaking after the match, Thiaw said: “I don’t want to go over the incidents.

I apologise for the football. After reflecting on it, I made them come back on the pitch. You can react in the heat of the moment. We accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn’t have done it, but it is done, and we present our apologies to football.”

The Senegal coach acknowledged the emotional intensity of the moment and stressed the importance of professionalism and accountability, urging players and fans to focus on moving forward.

Reacting to the incident, Morocco head coach Walid Regragui described his Senegal counterpart, Pape Thiaw, as ‘shameful,’ after his side won the Africa Cup of Nations in dramatic circumstances.

The Confederation of African Football condemned behaviour by some players and officials during the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final between hosts Morocco and Senegal in Rabat on Sunday night.

Dutch giants Ajax have announced the appointment of Jordi Cruyff, son of club legend Johan Cruyff, as the team’s technical director.

Cruyff, 51, will start his new role on February 1 on a contract that runs until June 2028.

“It goes without saying how much this means to my family and me,” Cruyff said on the club’s website.

“In the stadium named after my father and at the club that has been important to me since I was young.

“Ajax is a unique club with a rich history, and I will do everything I can to add a new successful chapter together.”

Cruyff will notably need to find a new coach for the Amsterdam team after the dismissal of John Heitinga in November.

Ajax are 18 points behind the league leaders, PSV Eindhoven, in the Dutch league, which they last won in 2022.

In the Champions League, they are 34th out of 36 teams and suffered a record 6-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Cup last Wednesday.

Club great Johan Cruyff led Ajax to three consecutive European Cup titles in the early 1970s.

An attacking midfielder, Jordi Cruyff was born in Amsterdam and played in the Ajax youth side, but never professionally for the club.

During his career, he played for teams including Barcelona and Manchester United and won nine caps for the Netherlands.

After retiring as a player, he managed teams including Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ecuador and in China.