Édouard Mendy announces Senegal retirement and calls Afcon win '10 times better' than Champions League

Mendy bows out after 'best year' of his career

Édouard Mendy has brought the curtain down on a glittering international career with Senegal, confirming his retirement at the age of 34 after 59 caps and two Africa Cup of Nations triumphs. The goalkeeper, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, says nothing in club football compares to leading his country to glory.

"[Winning Afcon] was the best moment of my football career: it was 10 times better [than the Champions League]," Mendy said. "To win for your club is something really incredible. But you cannot compare with winning for your country, especially when they have never won anything before. It happens only once in your life so being part of the team that made history was amazing."

'Everywhere else there was fire'

Mendy cast his mind back to the cauldron of the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, where he faced a stoppage-time penalty against hosts Morocco in the Afcon final. "I had to stay patient and try to have a cool head because everywhere else there was fire," he remembered.

The drama had begun after a 17-minute delay in which Mendy and most of his teammates controversially headed to their dressing room in protest at the referee's decision to penalise El Hadji Malick Diouf following a Morocco corner. Senegal had also seen a goal disallowed minutes earlier, while Mendy's complaints about Ismael Saibari stealing his towel — a misdemeanour for which the Bayern Munich forward later apologised — and lasers being shone in his eyes from the crowd went unheeded by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala.

When play resumed, the man who lifted the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 tried to keep his focus as Real Madrid's Brahim Díaz stood over the ball.

"I realised two steps before he shot … usually when a player does a Panenka they slow down for the last step, but I noticed he did it early," Mendy said. "I know his preferred side is on the right. But when I saw him slow down way before, I just stood up and managed to catch the ball."

Four minutes into extra time, Pape Gueye's goal appeared to crown Senegal and Mendy as African champions for the second time in four years.

The disputed final and the road to CAS

Or so it seemed. More than seven months after Morocco were awarded a 3-0 victory in March when the Confederation of African Football ruled Senegal had forfeited the final by leaving the pitch, a preliminary hearing for the Lions of Teranga's appeal is finally set to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland next month.

"The only thing we have to remember is that the game went to the end. We went off the pitch but the game restarted," Mendy said. "For me there is no issue because the final was completed — we were given the trophy and celebrated in our country. That was it. When you speak to me about the Afcon, I just simply tell you that: 'Yes, we have won it twice.' That's nothing against the Moroccan people or anyone else. It's just how we feel. I'm not a lawyer but it's just common sense. You can't change something that has already been decided."

Vieira's call could not change his mind

Mendy's decision to retire came despite a personal phone call from Senegal's new manager, Patrick Vieira. "He [Vieira] is a legend so to have the chance to work with him was really something that came into my mind," Mendy said. "But at the end of the call I asked for some time to really think about everything. A couple of days later I called him and explained that I wanted to stick to my decision. I started thinking about it after the Afcon and I just came to the conclusion that it was my time to say stop."

Mendy endured World Cup heartache after sustaining a knee injury against Norway, but he has since added a second successive Asian Champions League with Al-Ahli to his trophy cabinet. He has high hopes that Senegal's next generation — including Monaco's Lamine Camara, who almost joined Chelsea in the summer, and Aston Villa's Ibrahim Mbaye — can emulate his achievements.

'My best year since I became a professional'

Mendy's 2021 exploits earned him the best-goalkeeper gong at Fifa's now-defunct The Best awards, though he missed out on the Yashin Trophy — awarded by the Ballon d'Or organisers to Gianluigi Donnarumma. Both are nominated again this year, and Mendy says he is proud to be in the conversation after what he describes as "my best year since I became a professional," a season in which no other goalkeeper won as many major honours.

"To be nominated for the Yashin trophy while I play in Saudi Arabia means a lot to me. My journey has not been easy — everything is about working hard and being resilient. When I see goalkeepers in Senegal wearing the No 16 jersey it makes me so proud. It means that at some point I gave them some inspiration and this is very powerful."

Born in Normandy, Mendy began his professional career at Cherbourg but found himself unemployed for a year after successive relegations. Marseille eventually offered him another chance, and he is now helping to fund a school in his parents' hometown of Keur Massar that has expanded to 200 students, as well as a scheme supporting budding entrepreneurs in Senegal.

"There is so much talent in Senegal and we have a young population that is very dynamic. That's why it's important to give them the opportunity to have a better life," he said. "When my mum sees the school she is so proud and that is the biggest gift anyone can have."