Everton star makes bold Sadio Mane statement four years after Liverpool exit

Everton star Iliman Ndiaye has made a bold Sadio Mane statement four years after his Liverpool exit, with the Senegalese now playing in Saudi Arabia for Al Nassr

Former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane now plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.(Image: Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)

Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye has named the former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane as one of his top three players in the world, four years after he left Anfield to move to Bayern Munich.

Ndiaye, speaking with ESPN for a TikTok video, also put Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in his top three alongside Mane. He went on to name the likes of Lamine Yamal and Michael Olise as being among his favorites to watch.

Mane left Liverpool in the summer of 2022 to move to the Bundesliga. However, he only last 12 months in Germany with Bayern before a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Mane won his second Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal recently, helping his country become champions alongside Ndiaye.

In stoppage time in Morocco, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw tried to remove his team from the field after a controversial penalty was awarded by the referee in the 98th minute.

Defender El Hadji Malick Diouf brought down Brahim Diaz, but the call was soft, even after being checked by the VAR.

(Image: AP)

With the Senegal players back in the changing rooms, Mane was the chief player in ushering them back out onto the pitch. Diaz missed the penalty and Senegal went on to win.

"Football is something special, the world was watching, the world loves football and I think football is a pleasure so we have to give a good image for football," Mane said at the final whistle.

"I think it would be crazy to not play this game because what, the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game?

"I think that would be the worst thing especially in African football. I'd rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football.

"I think it's really bad. Football should not stop for even ten minutes but what can we do?

"We have to accept that we did but the good thing is that we came back and we played the game and what happened happened."

Liverpool.com says: Mane at his peak was absolutely one of the best in the world. That was a long time ago now, though, even if he was still able to turn it on for his country.