AFCON 2022 best moment of my career – Sarr

Tottenham Hotspur star, Pape Matar Sarr talks about his rise in the football world, his journey to Spurs, commitment to his national team and more in this interview with Showmax

Let’s take a look back at your past and talk about your journey so far. Tell us about your childhood in Senegal.

I was an ambitious young man because my childhood was like that of other kids who dreamt of being football players. There were times when I was at school and other times when I was playing football in my neighbourhood, this is where I started. I liked playing football, so it was natural; I always had a ball with me. It was normal for me to call my friends to play football. But, yes, I was a little reserved, not very effusive, just like now, actually.  I used to play a lot in my neighbourhood and even at home, in my mother’ss bedroom. I used to kick the ball everywhere, so she wasn’t t too happy with it.

You also come from a football family. Your dad coached; your brother played too. Tell us how important football was to your family?

Not only my father, but my whole family is involved in football. My grandparents, my uncles – everyone. My brother plays in Luxembourg as well. So, it's normal that football became a cultural thing for us, so we had to play football. it was part of your daily life, part of your DNA. That is all I lived for. Even with my studies, as my dad was pushing me a bit, but he would rather give me football boots than books or pencils.

Were you good at school?

I was not too bad! But I was more focused on football.

Tell us about the time you arrived in Europe, at FC Metz.

I signed for FC Metz when I was already at Génération Foot. Those clubs have a partnership, so when they spot a player, they make him sign a contract, but he has to turn 18 before joining FC Metz. As for me, I joined FC Metz when I turned 18. It was a good experience, as my coach was Frédéric Antonetti.

FC Metz is also a club where Mané played. Did it encourage you to sign for the club?

Of course. Like I said, when you hear that Sadio Mané joins a club and especially if you’re from Senegal, as he’s a role model for us. He played for Metz, so I thought, why not do the same? from Génération Foot to FC Metz, and then, he just exploded. This was our dream too, and when you’re around the Génération Foot facilities, you will always hear people talk about his time there, as he went from Génération Foot to FC Metz. Abdoulaye Sarr also told me about the time Sadio was playing there. Ismaïla Sarr has had the same journey too so people talk a lot about those players. Of course, it inspires you and motivates you to follow the same path. FC Metz has been a good step for me.

Tell us about your first contact with Tottenham. Did they come looking for you fairly quickly?

Yes, they came looking for me because, at the time, I was only focused on football. Like you said, I was at Metz, and it all happened so fast. I played one season and Tottenham and other clubs were knocking on my door. I chose Tottenham because the club was well-organised, and their project convinced me, so I decided to go there. So, yes, it happened a bit too quickly, but in the end, it’s not too bad. I’ve waited for this moment for so long, was happy and satisfied because I thought that all the work, I had done was paying off. It was special, it was incredible.

For someone like you who, in the space of three years, went from Senegal to scoring a goal against Manchester United in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium must have been unreal?

Yes, it was crazy and I remember after the match, I got a lot of text messages, especially from back home because, as you may know, there are a lot of United fans there. So, it made me happy. I took it in my stride because, ultimately, it was just a football match. But I will never forget that goal, at least for now.

What is your best memory with the national team?

The AFCON, obviously.

In 2022? 

Yes, the one we won. It was truly amazing; it was the best moment of my entire football career. Winning the AFCON with Senegal. . . Wow! It was incredible, I want to relive it.

Was it the best time of your life?

Yes, we can say that. And want to experience it again. I want to win more trophies with Senegal. It was a beautiful and incredible moment.

What are your objectives for the season?

The objective is to win as many matches as possible, especially in the Premier League because, obviously, if you win every match, you’re bound to win something. As for the Europa League, of course, it’s another objective for us, but we’re focusing on the league as we have made a good start. We’ll take it one step at a time and see where it takes us.