Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo has applauded the role played Senegalese forward Sadio Mane in his national team.
Mane, 33, fired a 78th minute strike on Wednesday night to send the Lions of Taranga into the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations final where they will square off with the host nation for continental dominance.
The former Liverpool man has played in all of his country’s matches at the tournament and has three assists and two goals, one coming in the crucial semi-final against Egypt. Khumalo said he expected that Mane would play an important role in the match and that his team has become smart in paring him with complimentary players.
“I’m looking at a Mane being a player that the Senegalese depend on,” said the Kaizer Chefs legend on SABV TV.
“But I would like to believe that the likes of [Nicolas] Jackson, they came to the party, because they use him as a decoy because a lot of teams plan around him. But only to find that there are players that actually complement what he’s doing.
“And look at the goal he scored, it bounced back to him and then it was taken there.”
Mane and Senegal will face hosts Morocco in Sunday’s AFCON final at 21:00 (SAST).
