Football legend George Weah tells Liverpool’s Salah and Mane ‘not to obsess over Ballon d’Or’

DUBAI: Liverpool’s top strikers, Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Senegalese Sadio Mane, have received presidential advice not to obsess over winning the Ballon d’Or. “They (Salah and Mane) shouldn’t obsess over the Ballon d’Or, rather they should focus on their performances and try to improve more,” Liberia’s retired football legend and current president George Weah told Canal+.

The first and, so far, only African footballer to have won the prestigious award in 1995, Weah was quoted by African media saying that “Liverpool’s duo must not put unnecessary pressure on themselves.” He continued: “I always worked hard to get my family out of poverty, that’s how I was awarded the Ballon d’Or.” Reports said the Liberian president urged Salah and Mane to shift their focus toward improving their individual performances, especially with Liverpool in fierce competition with rivals Manchester City to win the Premier League title. Weah played in Liberia, the Ivory Coast and Cameroon before moving to Europe, where he had a sparkling career with clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, Marseille and AC Milan.

He also had brief spells with Chelsea and Manchester City before ending his career in the UAE’s Al-Jazira Club. With many observers and analysts believing the Reds’ front duo are constant nominees for the annual prize, Salah and Mane have been a central pillar to Liverpool’s success in recent years, helping them win the UEFA Champions League title in 2019 and qualifying for this year’s semifinal against Spanish club Villarreal.