Sadio Mané has moved ahead of Didier Drogba to cement his status as the most influential attacking player at the Africa Cup of Nations since 2006, underlining his enduring importance to Senegal at the ongoing 2025 tournament in Morocco.
The Al Nassr forward reached a historic milestone during Senegal’s 3–0 win over Benin in the final group game, contributing an assist despite not finding the net himself. That contribution took Mané’s total to 17 goal involvements in AFCON history, made up of 10 goals and seven assists, surpassing Drogba’s long-standing record of 16.
French statistics platform Stats Foot confirmed that Mané now stands alone at the top of the list for combined goals and assists at the tournament over the past two decades, a remarkable achievement given the calibre of players to have featured in that period.
Drogba, the former Ivory Coast captain and Chelsea striker, previously held the benchmark with 11 goals and five assists, a record that had remained untouched until Mané’s latest contribution.
Mané’s consistency across multiple AFCON editions has been central to Senegal’s rise as a continental force, culminating in their maiden title in 2021 and continued dominance in recent tournaments.
Beyond eclipsing Drogba’s overall tally, Mané has also established himself as the joint-leading assist provider at AFCON since 2006, level with former Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Touré on seven assists.
The figures highlight his evolution from a prolific winger into a complete forward capable of shaping games through creativity as well as finishing.
