African fight with Saudi flavor. Mane left Koulibaly out of the Senegal team

Al-Nasr star Sadio Mane has ruled out his Senegal team-mate Al-Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly from the 2026 World Cup finals clash with Norway.

In the second round of the World Cup group stage, Senegal lost 2-3 to Norway early on Tuesday.

The match witnessed Koulibaly’s negative performances, which forced Senegal coach Pape Tiau to send him off in the 72nd minute of the match.

However, reports in the Senegalese press, carried by Al Arabiya TV channels, confirm that the decision was not made by Thiau himself, but by the captains of the Senegal team, led by Sadio Mane, as well as midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye.

According to reports, Mane and Guy were the ones who pressured the Senegalese coach to send Koulibaly off the pitch given his repeated mistakes that dashed the Teranga Lions’ hopes of victory.

The loss to Norway was Senegal’s second at the World Cup, following a 1-3 loss to France, leaving them level on points with Iraq ahead of a crucial third-round clash.