Senegal Star Sadio Mane Tipped to Succeed at Bayern Munich
Former Nigeria international, Efan Ekoku is backing Mane to adapt to the Bundesliga and be a hit for the six-time European champions, as reported by BBC.
“I think that as a top-class player and professional, he will succeed at Bayern for sure,” Ekoku told BBC Sport Africa.
“He’s made a good choice. If you’re going to leave a big club like Liverpool and if you are still at the peak of your powers, then you’ve got to choose wisely.
“Mane has done and gone to a club as storied as Liverpool, over the last 40 to 50 years, in Bayern. The chances of him being successful in the Bundesliga with Bayern are just as great, if not more so.”
After spells at Metz, Red Bull Salzburg and Southampton, Mane moved to Liverpool in 2016 and went on to score 90 Premier League goals for Reds, finishing his final season with 23 goals in all competitions.
Mane told BBC Sport Africa last month that his reason for quitting Liverpool was to seek a new challenge, and he is expected to make his Bundesliga debut against Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday evening.
Yet, despite his growth and remarkable success in England, former DR Congo captain Gabriel Zakuani expects Mane will have to adapt to a new system in Germany.
“We know Mane is a workhorse – and he’s got the quality to go with it – but it will be difficult for him,” Zakuani told BBC Sport Africa.
“I think it could be a different sort of challenge for him, because at Liverpool he had a system spot on, in that he had everyone doing the hard work with him.
“With Bayern Munich it’s completely different – they play a different style, so he may struggle to adapt, but Mane is the sort of player that loves learning.
“We’ve seen the changes he’s had since he was at Southampton, and how he’s become a world star. Now he’s going to Bayern as a big-name player, so I’d expect him to do well, eventually, but it may take him a little bit of time to bed in.”
Ekoku, however, thinks adjusting to life in the Bavaria should prove no problem for Mane.
