The father of Sadio Mané's wife has disclosed that the couple entered into a traditional arranged marriage, having never dated or spent time alone before their wedding. Aisha Tamba, 18, married the Al-Nassr forward in an Islamic ceremony on 7 January in Keur Massar, Dakar, Senegal. Mané, 31, has since joined Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations, where they began their title defence against Gambia.
Amadou Tamba told Univers Info TV that his daughter first met Mané more than two years ago while visiting his family with her mother. “My wife and Aisha visited their family one day, and this is where he met her for the first time,” Tamba explained. “He probably saw something special in her and his parents appreciated her as well. They came to see me. We discussed as per the tradition, agreed on everything and waited for this day to happen.” He added that the pair were not dating because Aisha was still young.
Tamba, who works in construction and has been employed by the Mané family for a decade, expressed his delight at the union. “I knew that Sadio and all his family are very good and humble people. Sadio is just the reflection of his family. However, as a father I also needed to know more about him, his education, his faith in God, humility. And I came to know much more that he is a good person.”
He also spoke of their discussions beyond marriage: “Sadio and I talk much about the projects, but we also talk about life in general and he taught me a lot, although he is still young. He knows a lot about life, and I learnt much from him. So, that's why I didn't hesitate to accept his request to marry Aisha.” Mané, who has 40 goals in 101 appearances for Senegal, is already a national hero after leading the team to their first AFCON title in 2022.
