After causing some awfully weird international attention, the situation regarding soccer player Sadio Mane marrying his new eighteen-year-old wife might have thankfully had some more context added.
Soccer star Sadio Mane, previously with Liverpool and Bayern Munich, has recently married his 18-year-old long-term girlfriend, Aisha Tamba, in a private ceremony in Senegal.
This news, reported by The Daily Mail, has sparked controversy due to the age difference between Mane, who is 31, and his bride, as well as the duration of their relationship.
It is reported that Mane has known Aisha since her teenage years and had been financially supporting her education. This raised questions and concerns about the nature of their relationship, particularly since Mane is said to have been involved in Aisha’s life from a young age. The legal age of consent in Senegal is 16.
TheSun.uk has followed up on the situation, and anyone freaking out that Mane was grooming his wife can now rest assured that nothing unsettling was occurring prior to their marriage.
Aisha Tamba’s father, Amadou Tamba, revealed that Mane was introduced to his daughter over two years ago, and she is currently 18 years old, amidst some reports suggesting she is 19. Contrary to rumors of a secretive relationship, Mr. Tamba clarified that Mane and Aisha never dated prior to their marriage.
Their first meeting occurred during a family visit to Mane’s home. Mane noticed something special in Aisha and both families agreed on the union. The marriage was decided upon while Aisha was still in school, but it was agreed to wait until she turned 18. During this period, Mane took responsibility for Aisha’s school bills. The decision to marry was made in accordance with tradition, with discussions and agreement between both families.
“With the values and all that she heard about him, she accepted voluntarily. But as parents we also guided and advised her to freely make up her mind. God did what’s best for her,” said Tamba
