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.
Football legend George Weah tells Liverpool’s Salah and Mane ‘not to obsess over Ballon d’Or’
https://arab.news/2ru9t
Football legend George Weah tells Liverpool’s Salah and Mane ‘not to obsess over Ballon d’Or’
- “They should focus on their performances” Liberian president told Canal+
- Weah was first and only African footballer to win the prestigious award in 1995
‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026
- Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu
YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.
Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.
Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”
He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.
Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”
The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.
Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.
Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.
“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”
Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.
