Édouard Mendy #16

Profile

Mendy’s road to the top is one of resilience. In 2014 he was visiting the unemployment office without a club and ready to leave football altogether. A few years later, after spells with Marseille’s reserves, Reims and Rennes, he was a Champions League winner with Chelsea and was named the best goalkeeper in the world by Fifa. Not to mention his role in Senegal’s run to their first title at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations. “My journey has taught me: no pain, no gain. Hard work is the only response.” At January’s most recent Afcon, he kept his nerve in the final to save Brahim Díaz’s Panenka penalty to send the final with Morocco to extra time, albeit after a Senegal protest at the awarding of the spot-kick that led the trophy to be awarded to Morocco. The 34-year-old has been in Saudi Arabia for three seasons and remains Pape Thiaw’s first choice.

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