“I needed to remain patient and composed because everything around me felt like it was burning,” Édouard Mendy recalls. Inside the intense atmosphere of Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, Senegal’s goalkeeper was preparing to face a stoppage-time penalty against tournament hosts Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Mendy had received a yellow card following a 17-minute interruption during which he and most of his teammates controversially walked toward the dressing room. They were protesting the referee’s decision to punish El Hadji Malick Diouf after a Moroccan corner.
Senegal had seen a goal ruled out only minutes earlier. Mendy had also complained to Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala that Ismael Saibari had taken his towel—an incident for which the Bayern Munich forward later apologised—and that supporters were shining lasers into his eyes. His concerns appeared to be ignored. He then had to concentrate as Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz prepared to take the penalty.
“I understood what he was planning about two steps before he struck the ball,” Mendy says. “Players attempting a Panenka usually reduce their speed on the final step, but he slowed down earlier than expected. I knew he normally preferred placing the ball to the right, yet when I noticed that early hesitation, I stayed upright and was able to catch it.” Mendy is considered among Africa’s finest goalkeepers and has played a major part in Senegal’s most successful footballing era.
Four minutes after extra time began, Pape Gueye scored the goal that appeared to make Senegal and Mendy African champions for the second time in four years. However, more than seven months after the Confederation of African Football awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory in March—ruling that Senegal had forfeited the final by leaving the field—a preliminary hearing concerning Senegal’s appeal is due to take place at the court of arbitration for sport in Switzerland next month.
“What matters is that the match was played to its conclusion,” Mendy says. “We left the field, but play resumed afterward. As far as I am concerned, there should be no dispute because the final finished, we received the trophy and celebrated the victory back home. When people ask me about the tournament, my answer is straightforward: ‘Yes, we have won it twice.’ That is not intended as disrespect toward Moroccans or anybody else. It is simply our perspective. I am not a legal expert, but common sense tells me that a completed result should not be changed.”
Since then, Mendy has added another honour to his extensive collection by winning the Asian Champions League with Al-Ahli for a second consecutive season. He also experienced World Cup disappointment after suffering a knee injury against Norway and announced his retirement from international football last week at the age of 34. A call from Senegal’s new coach, Patrick Vieira, was not enough to reverse his decision or persuade him to add to his 59 appearances for the national team.
“Vieira is a legendary figure, so the possibility of working with him certainly made me think,” Mendy says. “At the end of our conversation, however, I asked for some time to consider everything carefully. I called him again a few days later and explained that I intended to stand by my choice. I had begun considering retirement after the Africa Cup of Nations and eventually decided that the right moment had arrived to stop.”
Mendy is optimistic that Senegal’s emerging generation can match the accomplishments of his own team. That group includes Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, who came close to joining Chelsea during the summer, and Aston Villa’s Ibrahim Mbaye. The Teranga Lions claimed their first African title in 2022, roughly eight months after Mendy recorded a clean sheet in the 2021 Champions League final. Looking back, however, he believes the two triumphs cannot be measured equally. “Winning the African title was the greatest experience of my career. It felt 10 times more significant than winning the Champions League. I can judge that clearly now because I have also lifted the Asian Champions League twice.
“Winning a trophy with your club is an extraordinary achievement, but it cannot match becoming a champion with your country, particularly when the nation has never won that title before. Such an opportunity may come only once, so helping the team create history was unforgettable.”
Mendy’s performances in 2021 earned him recognition as the leading goalkeeper at Fifa’s discontinued Best awards, although Gianluigi Donnarumma received the Yashin trophy presented by the Ballon d’Or organisers. Both players have again been nominated for this year’s prize. Mendy says he takes great pride in being considered once more after what he calls his strongest year as a professional, during a season in which no goalkeeper collected more major trophies.
“Being shortlisted for the Yashin trophy while playing in Saudi Arabia is extremely meaningful to me,” he says. “My career path has been difficult, and progress has always depended on determination, resilience and hard work. Seeing young goalkeepers in Senegal wearing the No 16 shirt fills me with pride because it suggests that I inspired them in some way. That is an incredibly powerful feeling.”
Born in Normandy, Mendy began his professional career with Cherbourg but spent a year without a club after suffering consecutive relegations. Marseille eventually offered him another opportunity. He now helps finance a school in Keur Massar, his parents’ hometown, which has recently grown to accommodate 200 pupils. He also supports a programme designed to assist aspiring entrepreneurs across Senegal.
“Senegal has an enormous amount of ability and a youthful, energetic population,” Mendy says. “That makes it essential to provide people with opportunities to improve their lives. My mother feels immensely proud whenever she visits the school, and there is no greater reward than that.”
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