Sadio MANE, the 33-year-old Senegalese international, is arguably one of the most popular football stars among Japanese fans.

Born in a rural village in southern Senegal, Mane left home at the age of 15 to join a football academy in the capital, Dakar. At 19, he moved to Europe, where he played for top clubs in France, Austria, England, and Germany. He currently plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Some may remember Mane as the player who scored the opening goal against Japan in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, but his connection to Japan goes beyond that one match. During his time at Southampton (2014–2016), he played alongside Japanese international YOSHIDA Maya, and later at Liverpool (2016–2022), he was teammates with MINAMINO Takumi. It’s said that he remains close friends with Yoshida to this day.

The incident occurred during Matchday 3 of the Bundesliga in August 2022, just a few months after Mane had transferred from Liverpool to Bayern Munich. Bayern were away to VfL Bochum, a side that included another Japanese international, ASANO Takuma. Although Mane had already scored his first goal for Bayern in the season opener, he was surely eager to add more to his tally.

At the time, Bayern were riding high, having won the Bundesliga for ten consecutive seasons. By the 33rd minute, they were already 3–0 up and well on course for a third straight win to start the new campaign. Mane had assisted the opening goal with a brilliant pass. Then, just past the 40th minute mark in the first half, something unexpected happened.

Kingsley COMAN burst forward to meet a cross from the rear left, heading it towards the left side post. The ball arced just wide of goal, but flying in from the left was Mane, who stretched out his left leg and tapped it into the net. The referee signalled for a goal.

However, Mane, still inside the opponent’s net, didn’t celebrate his “goal”. Instead, he looked slightly sheepish. When Coman ran over to him, Mane gave a cheeky wink and pointed to the white tape on his left hand.

“It touched my hand.”

In football, a handball isn’t judged solely on whether the ball touches the hand. The referee must consider whether it was deliberate, or whether the arm was in an unnatural position. However, if the ball touches an attacker’s hand — whether intentionally or not — and results in a goal, the goal must be disallowed. This rule reflects the fundamental principle of fairness in the sport.

Naturally, all goals are subject to VAR review, and Mane’s goal would likely have been disallowed anyway.

But Mane didn’t feel it necessary to let the game pause and wait for a review — he admitted immediately that the ball had touched his hand.

The replay confirmed that the ball had brushed Mane’s left foot, hit the left post, and then deflected off his left arm before going in. After the VAR review, the referee disallowed the goal. As the only question was whether the ball had touched his hand, the referee didn’t even need to check the footage himself.

Bayern’s three-goal cushion at the time may have influenced the moment, but all strikers are naturally hungry for his or her goals, regardless of the scoreline. Mane’s decision to own up, when he could easily have claimed the goal, was widely praised as an act which showed his genuine human nature.

Shortly after, Mane went on to score a legitimate goal, and later added another from the penalty spot in the second half, helping Bayern to a resounding 7–0 victory.

Written by OSUMI Yoshiyuki (Football Journalist)

*This article was originally posted on the Japan Football Association Newsletter, “JFAnews,” July 2025 edition.

Japan Football Association Newsletter “JFAnews”

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