Did Sadio Mane get his childhood friend a Bayern Munich contract?
Sadio Mane joining Bayern is the talk of town but several reports in Munich indicate that Desire Segbe Azankpo has also joined Bayern Reserve team on a two year contract.
Who is Désiré Segbé?
Segbé is a Beninese international who was scouted at an early age and sent on trials to Generation Foot Academy in Senegal. That was the same period Sadio Mane had also been brought to the Academy from his village Banbali.The two quickly formed a bond and became good friends.
According several interviews conducted by Mane, he and Segbe shared the same room and shared everything including food and clothes.
Mane would sometimes wear Segbe’s boots and vice versa. Segbe was a highly-rated striker at the academy with Mane playing as a midfielder.
After some few months, Mane was the first to be flown to FC Metz in France. It didn’t take long for Segbe to join him in France.
In 2019, Segbe revealed that, Mane had told Metz officials about his friendship with Segbe so the club kept him and Mane in the same room again.
They finally separated when Mane moved to RB Salzburg. Segbe got a terrible injury which slowed his career. After his recovery, he moved out of Metz but things didn’t turn out quite well with his career as it did for Mane.
Segbe went to play in Luxembourg, Slovakia etc. Despite this, he and Mane continued to stay in touch and claims he and Mane get in touch on FaceTime everyday. In 2019, Segbe got a move to Oldham Athletic in England. It was just 45mins from Liverpool so Mane asked him to come stay with him in his house.
During the 2019 Afcon in Egypt, Mane and Segbe’s countries faced in the Quarter Final match. This was the first time they met in a game. Senegal won 1-0 vs Benin and advanced but Segbe stayed to wait for Mane until the tournament was over.
They moved back together to England. When Sadio Mane got the Bayern Munich deal, he moved to Germany with Segbe Azangkpo for his medicals, signing and unveiling ceremony. If you saw someone with Mane throughout the process, that was Segbe.
When Mane won the African Best two weeks ago, he dedicated the title to his friend Desire Segbe Azankpo who he said has been a pillar in his life and stood behind him when things were tough. Azankpo’s deal with Dunkerque had ended and without a club and now moving with Mane.
Today, it is widely reported that Bayern have signed him for the reserve side, after a trial facilitated by Sadio Mane. This is also to allow him stay closer and help Sadio adjust quickly.
