Sadio Mane is a newly-married man after sealing the knot with 19-year-old girlfriend Aisha Tamba this week.
The wedding is believed to have taken place on January 7 in Keur Massar, an area in the capital city of Dakar, just six days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations on January 13.
Mane jetted off to join up with the Senegal squad for the competition but stopped off on the way to marry Tamba, with the pair keeping their relationship secret until they were married.
The event was said to have been attended by family, friends and fellow footballers.
Mail Sport takes a look at everything we know about the wedding.
Footballer Sadio Mane has married his ’19-year-old long-time girlfriend’ Aisha Tamba in his home country of Senegal
The couple kept their relationship a secret until their big day – believed to have been January 7
Who is Aisha Tamba?
Aisha was born in Casamance, a town which borders Bambali – the village where Mane is from and where he has donated money for a hospital to be built. He has also provided funds for a mosque, a school, a petrol station and given learning materials to students in his community, the Bayo News Network reports.
Aisha is a student at the Cabis School in Grand Mbao Baobab, Senegal, according to Essentially Sports.
She reportedly speaks Mandingo, a language spoken in parts of Senegal and The Gambia, and which her new husband also speaks.
Aisha was born in Casamance, a town which borders Bambali – the village where Mane is from
Pulse Sports reported that Mane had made a vow to marry Tamba from the very day they started dating – which was reportedly during his Liverpool career.
The same outlet exclusively reported that Tamba is not on social media and maintains a private life.
Mane, 31, had previously spoken about his ideal woman where he revealed that his wife would not be on any forms of social media.
Despite Mane being one of the most recognisable faces in football, he somehow managed to keep his relationship with Tamba secret from the public eye up until their marriage this year.
Back in 2022, he had however spoken out on the type of person that he would marry.
‘I’ve seen a lot of girls asking me why I am not married, but sorry you might be wasting your time. The woman I marry will not be on social networks,’ Mane said, according to Tribune.
‘I want to marry a woman who respects God and prays well. Everyone has their own way of making their choice of love,’ he added.
It has been reported that Mane made a vow to marry Tamba from the day they began dating
How did they meet?
Reports claim Aisha ‘was long intended for the 31-year-old footballer since her teenage years’ though it is not known exactly how long they have been dating. The legal age of consent in Senegal is 16 years of age.
It was also reported by Pulse Sports that the former Liverpool star had taken care of her bills when she was in school, with the Senegalese star also ‘taking care of her family.’
The couple share the same religion, Islam, and are both said to be private people. A few of the official wedding photos were shared on @SMane_Officiel, with the caption ‘thanks to God’ written in Arabic.
The footballer first spotted Aisha when she was 16 but he did not approach her formally at the time, according to Sports Brief.
However, he reportedly communicated his intentions to his uncle, a friend of the family, which led to their eventual union.
It is reported that Mane had taken care of some of Tamba’s bills while she was still in school
What do we know about the ceremony?
Pictures of the wedding, which took place in Senegal, have been published on Instagram by photography company @Magvision_Evens_Officiel. The photos show Mane and his wife, who is the daughter of an architect, holding hands and posing after the ceremony.
One image shows the pair sitting below a display of roses, with the words ‘Mrs Mane’ imprinted on the wall.
A video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by @abdullahayofel showed the two smiling and laughing as they sat together on a sofa after their wedding.
It was captioned: ‘A very simple and humble man, congratulations Sadio Mane. May Allah bless your union.’
The wedding photos show Aisha wearing a mermaid-style intricate, fitted, lacey dress, with long sleeves and a silky veil.
Other photos show a second outfit – a silk white top and skirt combo, which she has teamed with a chunky gold necklace and earrings. The bride also has henna on both hands.
Mane is seen wearing traditional Senegalese dress in the pictures.
Photos have shown the couple laughing and smiling as they posed for snaps on their big day
Mane has now joined up with the Senegal squad ahead of their game with Gambia on Monday
The team will also take on Cameroon and Guinea in the group stage as on of the favourites to win the competition
What now?
Mane is back with the Senegal squad ahead of their first game of the African Cup of Nations on Monday.
Mane found himself dressed in all-white once again as Senegal received an Africa Cup of Nations send-off, just two days after he married his girlfriend.
Mane, who currently plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, joined his Senegal team-mates for a pre-tournament flag ceremony ahead of the tournament in Ivory Coast.
Senegal will go on to play Cameroon and Guinea in the group stage and are ranked among the favourites to win the trophy.
The match on Monday will be against Gambia.
