Édouard Mendy has won plenty at club level, but his proudest achievements remain those with his national team. The former Chelsea goalkeeper has claimed that winning the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) was 10 times better than winning the Champions League with Chelsea, according to The Guardian Football. Mendy won two African titles with Senegal, including the 2022 Afcon, where he kept his head to read Brahim Díaz's Panenka in the final against Morocco.
Mendy's comments come as Senegal's appeal against being stripped of the 2022 Afcon title is set to be heard at the court of arbitration for sport in Switzerland next month. Despite being stripped of the title, Senegal still paraded the trophy in Paris before playing a friendly against France. Mendy has high hopes that Senegal's next generation can emulate the achievements of his, and he is proud to be in the conversation for the Yashin trophy awarded by the organisers of the Ballon d'Or.
Mendy's exploits in 2021 led to him being named best goalkeeper at Fifa's now defunct The Best awards, but he missed out on the Yashin trophy awarded by the organisers of the Ballon d'Or to Gianluigi Donnarumma. Both have been nominated again for this year's award and Mendy says he is proud to be in the conversation again after what he describes as "my best year since I became a professional".