Sadio Mane scores hat-trick as Senegal embarrass Benni McCarthy’s Kenya

Sadio Mane scored a first half hat-trick as Senegal taught Benni McCarthy’s Kenya a footballing lesson that the East Africa nation will remember for years.

The former Liverpool forward had an easy game, just like the rest of his teammates, in a friendly match played in Turkey on Tuesday evening which the Teranga Lions won 8-0.

Senegal were 4-0 up after just 17 minutes after capitalising on a number of defensive mistakes from their hosts.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, currently on loan at Bayern Munich, opened the floodgates after nine minutes when he received a ball in the box after El Hadji Malick Diouf had intercepted a poor pass from Polokwane City goalkeeper Brian Bwire.

Mane leads Senegal demolition job

Jackson slotted in from a tight angle and it took the Senegalese three minutes to score the second, Ibrahim Mbaye, getting his first senior start, finding Diouf this time for 2-0, after another defensive mistake from Kenya.

The Chelsea star would seal his brace in the 15^th minute before the Mane show began. Just two minutes later, Mbaye would find Mane and the Al-Nassr forward broke free from his marker against the run of play, beating defender Sylvester Owino for pace, before blasting past Bwire on his left foot.

Mane would score a controversial penalty in the 31^st minute before he sealed his hat-trick four minutes later after another unforced error from the Kenyan backline as the 2021 African champions took a 6-0 lead at halftime.

After the break, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw made triple substitutions and it only took two minutes before they scored the seventh was scored, Mbaye getting his first goal on his maiden start for the Teranga Lions in the 47^th minute.

What led to the big loss for Kenya?

The West Africans then took their foot off the pedal, allowing Kenya some time and space on the ball but McCarthy’s team lacked ideas in the final third as they could not threaten Edouard Mendy in the Senegal goal.

With another mistake at the back, Kenya conceded a second penalty which was converted by Cherif Ndiaye 10 minutes from time to complete the rout.

McCarthy had given a number of young and inexperienced players a chance in the game but they found the going tough and looked frightened by the star-studded Senegal who did not break a sweat for their win.

It is the biggest loss for McCarthy since becoming Kenya coach and also the highest his team has ever conceded since he became a coach.