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Dennis Mabuka
The 30-year-old Lion of Teranga was feted following his remarkable humanitarian work, but did he deserve more?
Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane has been described by a cross-section of fans as "a man with a golden heart" after he became the first-ever recipient of the Socrates Award.
However, many African fans feel this award was created to deflect from the disappointment of not awarding Mane the Ballon d'Or.
The Socrates Award was given to the 30-year-old following the work he has already done in his home country Senegal. Part of his work in his hometown of Bambali saw him build a school worth €270,000, and put up a hospital worth €530,000.
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Every month, he also gives family €70 for upkeep, provide free clothes to kids and access to the 4G network thanks to his partnership with Orange.
Apart from the Socrates award, Mane also finished second in the race to win the Ballon d'Or, which was won by Real Madrid's Karim Benzema. By finishing second, he became the second African after George Weah, who won it in 1995 to reach the podium.
Fans have taken to their social media pages to praise Mane and also express their frustration that an African has not won the Ballon d'Or.
-min.png?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60 "Mane: Socrates Award 'deflects Ballon d'Or snubbing', Senegal star's 'golden heart' - Fans and Bayern Munich react | Goal.com India (5)")
