Mane: My mother hated football and thought it was a waste of time. When I was 16, I borrowed money to escape from the village for the first time.

In an exclusive interview with Ferdinand, Mane talked about his experience in Senegal when he was a child. His family did not support Mane playing football. When he was 16 years old, Mane borrowed money and ran away from home in order to play football.

Ferdinand: Going back to when you were a kid in Senegal, what was your experience when you first got into football, dreamed of becoming a professional player, and finally managed to leave Senegal?

Mane: My dream is to become a football player. This is something I have always kept in mind, so I don’t know what it would be like if I didn’t become a football player. I don’t know what I would do.

Because I just love football and my family hates it, my mom hates football and I was raised by my mom. For my mother, playing football is a waste of time because you can't succeed in this village. There have been players in the village who played football but no one succeeded. It's like a waste of time and you end up old and without a job.

They want me to go to school, but I don't like going to school. I woke up every morning and went to play football, playing in the street like all kids do. When I get home, I have problems with my family. Sometimes they beat me, sometimes they were very cruel to me, because they wanted me to take the right path, and in their opinion, playing football and being a football player was not a serious thing at all. So when I got older, I tried to escape my village.

Ferdinand: I've read the story that you escaped to the capital.

Mane: Yes, there is a man in the village next to my house, and he is also a football fan. But I said to him: Look, give me some money, I'm going to pay for the ride, eight or 10 hours, and that's how it started.

Ferdinand: How old were you then?

Mane: 16 years old. I was 16 years old and still in school. I slipped away at 5 or 6 in the morning and went to DA (Dakar, the capital of Senegal). I stayed there for a week and my family didn't see me. They had a falling out at home.

Ferdinand: Is it unusual for a young man to go against his family's wishes like this?

Mane: Unusual. That was the first time I ran away, the first time I left my village. So I have been in this village all my life, I have never even been 18 kilometers away from the village.

Ferdinand: Very big risk, right?

Mane: The risk is very high. From my best friend, my family learned that I ran away and took a car. They found me, called me everywhere, and then took me back to the village.

Ferdinand: Then how did you get out? Because you ended up in France.

Mane: I’m going to find my family. I said: Mom, listen to me, school is not for me, but I will study for another year to make you happy. If you don't support me, I will leave again.

I made it very clear that if I left again, I would do it on my own. I think they talked it over with each other, my uncle, my mom, and they said, now a year later, we've got to figure out what to do with this boy because he's made a decision and he's going to do what he wants.

A year later, my family and I sat down at the table, and that’s how it all started.

source:kqbd tt 7m