First African keeper to win the Champions League welcomed like a king in Senegal

It’s good to be Edouard Mendy these days. The Senegalese has just won the Champions League with Chelsea and was welcomed in his native country as a king. The extraordinary story of this keeper, from being an unemployed and receiving social benefit, to lifting the Europe’s most prestigious club competition trophy is really one of those inspirational stuff you want to read every day.

Mendy made a switch from Rennes to Chelsea for 3.3 billion Ksh in 2020 and slowly but surely surpassed Kepa Arrizabalaga to the number 1 keeper at Stamford Bridge. More so, Mendy fell three clean sheets short of Premier League Golden Glove winner Ederson (19). Still, the Selegalese managed to keep an impressive nine clean sheets in the Champions League last season as he tied current record holders Keylor Navas and Santiago Canizares, and one of those nine clean sheets was the most important one – against Manchester City in the finals.

Edouard Mendy story - From heavy uncertainty to every footballer's dream

And when Mandy returned to Senegal to hook up with his team mates, he received a royal treatment on the streets and in front of the team hotel. He is, after all, the first Senegalese goalkeeper to play in and win the Champions League, and the first African goalkeeper to do so in this rendition of Europe’s premier club competition. (Bruce Grobbelaar, of Zimbabwe, won the “European Cup” with Liverpool back in 1984).

Young fans could be heard chanting his name and singing his praises as Mendy enjoyed an incredible hero's welcome.

"I don't set limits for myself. I try to be better and improve every day. When you're in a team like Chelsea, you have to keep in mind that you have to improve and play well. This is the only way you can win titles and impose yourself over time. I am very proud and very happy to have lived this moment, it is something rare in the career of a player“ Mendy said to Goal.

The Senegalese also talked about the Champions League final, stating the importance of Thomas Tuchel and his arrival to London.

"I am very proud and very happy to have lived this moment, it is something rare in the career of a player. We had built up a lot of confidence since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel. In particular against Manchester City, as we had beaten them twice. We knew we were better than them physically. In the stats, in the data, we were superior to them. We knew that we had to play the perfect game to win this trophy. And, tactically, we played the perfect game" said Mendy to L’Equipe.