Edwin Van der Sar, the legendary Manchester United goalkeeper, has chosen an African player as his favorite for the Ballon d’Or in 2022, ignoring Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski.
Many consider the Frenchman and Real Madrid star to be the favorite to win the coveted trophy this year, as he has 38 goals and 13 assists in 38 games in all competitions.
Since Lewandowski’s Bayern Munich was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals by Villarreal, opinions have shifted.
However, for Van der Sar, Sadio Mane of Senegal and Liverpool should be considered a genuine contender for the Ballon d’Or in 2022.
“Benzema Ballon d’Or? For me it’s no”, he said in a recent Twitter Space.
“Wait, there’s a player currently doing just as well as Benzema and no one is talking about him.”
So far this season, Sadio Mane has 18 goals and two assists in 41 club games.
He also won the AFCON in February with Senegal and the Carabao Cup with Liverpool, and he has an FA Cup final, Champions League semi-final, and Premier League final to look forward to.
