RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has appealed for star forward Sadio Mané to reconsider his decision to make this Africa Cup of Nations his last.
Mané, the two-time African Footballer of the Year, is playing in his sixth Africa Cup and fired Senegal into the final by scoring for a 1-0 win over Egypt in the semifinals. The 33-year-old Mané told journalists after that match that this will be his last Africa Cup.
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Senegal's Sadio Mane, left, is challenged by Egypt's Hossam Abdelmaguid during the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Senegal's Sadio Mane, left, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Senegal's Sadio Mane, and Egypt's Mohamed Hany, right, vie for the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Senegal's head coach Pape Thiaw celebrates at the end of the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Senegal's Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Thiaw said Saturday that he hopes Mané will listen to the will of the Senegalese people.
“There’s a nation behind him. This nation would like to see him continue because he made this decision in the heat of the moment. And the country doesn’t agree,” Thiaw said a day before Senegal faces host nation Morocco for the decider. “And I, as the coach, don’t agree at all. We’d like to keep him as long as possible.”
Mané led Senegal to the 2021 Africa Cup title and has been leading the team at this edition with captain Kalidou Koulibaly suspended for one game earlier in the tournament and again for Sunday’s final.
Mané’s goal against Egypt was his 11th altogether in the Africa Cup. He has also set up nine more.
“He’s a legend. Everywhere. For Africa. He represents Africa, he represents the world. He’s an example! We need people like him in this life. He teaches life lessons, his resilience, his education, and how he gives his all for Senegal,” Thiaw said. “He gave his life so we could win this tournament (in 2021), so we could get our first star.”
Thiaw said he doesn’t want to see Mané leave, “and his teammates don’t either.”
Defender Moussa Niakhaté said he didn’t have enough time to explain what Mané represents for Senegalese and African soccer.
“What defines Sadio is hard work, love for his country. And as he declared after the match against Egypt, this will be his last Africa Cup game, his sixth Africa Cup, so it shows his longevity and consistency,” Niakhaté said before Senegal goes for its second title. “We owe it to him to bring him back that second star.”
Mané still has the World Cup to come before he quits the national team. The Teranga Lions have been drawn in a group with France, Norway and then a playoff winner between Bolivia, Suriname and Iraq.
AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations
Senegal's Sadio Mane, left, is challenged by Egypt's Hossam Abdelmaguid during the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Senegal's Sadio Mane, left, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Senegal's Sadio Mane, and Egypt's Mohamed Hany, right, vie for the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Senegal's head coach Pape Thiaw celebrates at the end of the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Senegal's Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — More than 24 hours before the first shot flew at a Final Four that really feels like a five-team affair, Arizona already had a win.
The Wildcats kept their coach from bolting to that fifth team — North Carolina.
Tommy Lloyd dropped the news of the contract extension that will keep him in Tucson through 2031 at Friday's news conference in advance of a titanic matchup against Michigan.
The meandering coaching search at one of the country's most storied programs has shared headlines with Saturday night's much-anticipated national semifinal that happens to feature two of Carolina's reported coaching targets.
"We’ve been able to get some things done the past couple days," Lloyd said.
Like Lloyd, Michigan coach Dusty May has spent most of this tournament batting down speculation that he might be the replacement for Hubert Davis, who was fired after the Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead in a loss to VCU in the first round of the tournament last month.
Not surprisingly, May was asked about it again the day before the big game.
“Yeah, I love it at Michigan, but you’ll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go and then I’ll comment on every job,” he said.
It's no big surprise that these two coaches are among the hottest commodities in hoops. Just look at the teams they brought to Indy.
There are no fewer than nine potential NBA stars sprinkled across the two rosters, which is why the winner of this, the second of Saturday night's semifinals, will almost certainly be a favorite against the UConn-Illinois winner in the undercard.
“It's the Final Four for a reason. It's the best teams, the best four," Arizona freshman Brayden Burries said. "UConn, Illinois, they're great teams. If we do win Saturday, we know we have a great shot at it. But no, we're not thinking about that now.”
Depending on which mock draft you check, Arizona's top NBA pick will either be Koa Peat (14 points, 5.5 rebounds) or Burries, a 16-point-a-game, McDonalds All-American who is shooting 68% from 3 over the tournament.
It's a striking stat for a team that attempted the third-lowest percentage of 3s in the country, if only because of all the tall, lanky talent it has across the court.
“We're doubling down on what we're good at, and we're believing in Coach Lloyd," said Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, a senior who has spent three years in Tucson after transferring from Alabama. “I like to get in the paint and get fouled. And when teams take that away, we're capable from 3 and we can knock those down, as well.”
Michigan is a 1 1/2-point favorite, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook, in a matchup of the top two teams in the KenPom rankings.
Michigan's best — but hardly its only — NBA prospect is Yaxel Lendeborg, who has scored 25, 23 and 27 in three straight blowout wins in the tournament.
Lendeborg came to Michigan last offseason from UAB. He was part of a quick rebuild, the likes of which are made possible in the era of the rapid-fire transfer portal. The architect is May, who himself arrived in Ann Arbor two seasons ago, just a year removed from a Final Four appearance with Florida A&M.
Michigan's four top scorers — Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara and Elliot Cadeau — played at different colleges last season.
May conceded to feeling some relief now that the transfer portal is considered a legit way to build a roster. Gone are the days of spending hundreds of hours recruiting high schoolers, only to learn that they've chosen someplace else.
“When I say we’re saving time, we don’t waste time with all the other things,” May said. “We still have to do our research. We still have the intel. We still have to spend an inordinate amount of time. We just don’t have to spend it the way we used to.”
As this Final Four is showing, it's not just the players whose every move is under a microscope.
“I didn’t want to make this entire Final Four about that because I’m just a small part of something much bigger,” Lloyd said of his contract extension. “But on that same note, I’d also like to let you know that North Carolina is an amazing place. I mean, it’s a one of one. It’s an honor to even be considered for that job.”
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Arizona guard Brayden Burries smiles after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)
Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg passes during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Michigan head coach Dusty May watches during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd watches during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against against Michigan at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
