BEFORE Sadio Mane became a household name in the Premier League, he was part of a Senegalese football club whose academy is recognised as one of the best in Africa.
The Liverpool star’s life features in a documentary called Sadio Mane: Made In Senegal that charts his humble beginnings and the sacrifices he made to achieve his dream of becoming a footballer.
Liverpool star Sadio Mane was a graduate at Generation Foot
The Generation Foot academy was set up in 2000
In the film Mane opens about how he was influenced by the death of his father when he was just seven, as well his charity endeavours, including funding a hospital in Bambali.
He told The Guardian about the docu: “I wanted to show to the people that you can achieve anything in the world if you are ready to build on your dreams and put in hard work. I am made in Senegal.”
Mane’s journey in football started at Académie Génération Foot, or Generation Foot, which was set up in Dakar in 2000.
Last year, their senior team won the Senegal Premier League – after winning their first title in 2017.
HOW THEY DID IT
The secret to their success is their youthful approach to the game – most of their squad is no older than 18-years-old, and the players aspire to make it to Europe to further their football education.
So far, over 30 have made it professional and gone on to greater shores.
As well as Mane, former West Ham striker Diafra Sakho and current Watford winger Ismaïla Sarr are former graduates.
Former Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse, once a £9.3 million signing, also learned his trade at Generation Foot.
In 2003, impressed by their set-up, FC Metz became an exclusive partner with the club that gives the French club first dibs on new talent, which is where Mane, Sakho and Cisse all plied their trade before moving onto pastures new.
The Senegalese academy is producing Africa’s finest footballers
The prospects board in quarters like these
Generation Foot was the brainchild of former footballer Mady Toure, who played in France in the 1990s before a knee injury wrecked his career.
“I started with a table and two balls,” Toure revealed in an interview with Dakarswagg.
“I started from scratch and I embarked on a project that was a little crazy.
“Few people believed in this project during the launch. I had my roadmap and my goals to reach. I wanted to gauge myself, to know what I was capable of, but I also wanted to help and help Senegal.
“Failure to succeed as a player has been a source of motivation for success as a leader.
Generation Foot offers their graduates a place to stay and play
Generation Foot aims to give Senegal players the best opportunity to succeed at the top level of football
The facilities at Generation Foot allow future stars to hone their skills
Talented Generation Foot players can end up playing for FC Metz, who has a link with the Africans
“The academy operates with the support of FC Metz and training allowances. We give an opportunity to young people to be fed, housed, educated and trained.”
Around 120 young players, aged from 12-years-old upwards, are enrolled in a six year course designed to turn them into future stars.
“I wanted to educate players to be able to cope with European football,” he continued.
“Some African players arrived in Europe without the necessary instruction to read a contract for example. I wanted to give them the keys to succeed.
Generation Foot’s young team won the Sengalese Premier League in 2019
Around 120 young players are coached at Generation Foot
Olivier Perrin has been working with Generation Foot since 2013
“Before the creation of the Academy, when I brought young African players to Europe, I was always told that they were missing something.
“So I created the Academy to clear the gaps of the players and put them in the best conditions to succeed in Europe.
A FRENCHMAN PERFECTED THE IDEA
In 2013, Generation Foot welcomed French manager Olivier Perrin to their set-up as the organisation continued to go from strength to strength.
Every year, FC Metz take at least two of their prospective talents to Europe to see how the cope with the rigours of French football.
Dorms at Generation Foot give the players a home to stay
The conveyor belt at Generation Foot has already prepared 30-plus footballers for European football
Areas of Generation Foot’s campus are named after former proteges
And Perrin admitted how important Generation Foot is for Senegal socially.
“We aren’t going to make 110 professionals out of 110 kids, but we also have a social role to play in Senegal, to improve their conditions,” he told Daily Nation.
“Everything is 100 percent covered, they don’t spend a penny and they receive a free education.
“There are no transfer fees and in return FC Metz pays for the monthly costs of the academy.”
Sadio Mane has excelled in the Premier League
Former Generation Foot graduate Papiss Cisse commanded a huge transfer fee when he moved to Newcastle
Ismaila Sarr has starred for Watford since arriving in the Premier League last summer
He added: “We want Generation Foot players to be ready for anything, as sportsmen and as people.”
With Senegal’s reputation on the international stage continuing to grow, it’s evident Generation Foot has a huge role to play in producing future talents.
And judging by their success of Mane and Sarr, it seems the academy’s next superstar will probably be just around the corner.
