Sadio Mane insists Al Nassr have only one thing on their mind this season – to overhaul Al Hilal and relieve their great rivals of the Saudi Pro League title.
Nassr already trail Hilal by four points following early season draws with Al Raed and Al Ahli. The reigning champions have won six from six and sit at the head of the table.
However, Nassr have now won five in a row in all competitions under new boss Stefano Pioli, including three league games on the spin, scoring eight and conceding none. They will have the chance to cut the gap at the top when they host their Riyadh rivals on November 1 with games against Al Shabab and Al Kholood in the interim.
While accepting the season is still in its formative stages, Mane says there is no point shying away from his side's lofty ambitions in a league he feels is increasingly competitive.
“It's going to be early to talk about winning the league,” said the Senegal international. “What's certain these days is that we're going to try to move forward match by match. After all, we know what our objective is: it's to be champions, our objective is to win everything, as everyone wants to do.
“You can see it, the level [in the league] is impressive now,” added Mane. “I'd even say it's been since last year, but especially this year, too, as every team has strengthened in level. I also think it's good for the league and will give more competitiveness and, of course, it's what football fans expect, so it's beneficial for the championship.”
Crucial to Nassr's upturn in results has been the improving form of Mane, who looks to have gone up a level after a modest first season in the kingdom. The 32 year old registered 13 goals and nine assists in 32 league games last term as his side trailed home 14 points adrift of Hilal.
He already has two goals and five assists in six league games this season, including a double in their win over Al Orobah last time out. He also grabbed the opener in their 2-1 AFC Champions League Elite group victory over Qatar's Al Rayyan.
Mane will hope to take that form into his nation's back-to-back Afcon qualifiers against Malawi where he will be joined in the squad by several of his Saudi Pro League rivals. He admits the subject of the title race often comes up on national team duty.
The SPL is home to fellow Senegalese stars such as Al Ahli goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Al Hilal centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly and Al Shabab forward Habib Diallo.
“We’re all in the Senegalese national team,” says Mane, who scored for his country in last month’s 1-1 draw in the Group L opener against Burkina Faso. “Of course, we sometimes talk about the league and many other things.
“As I said, it's a competitive league, so all the big players want to come, like Kalidou, Habib. They're all important players for our [national team] selection, so the fact that they're here is also beneficial for the national team.”
However, Mane's international teammates are not the only familiar faces he sees when in SPL action. A recent 3-0 win over Al Ettifaq gave him the chance to catch up with his former longtime Liverpool teammate Georginio Wijnaldum.
“Ginni is one of my very good friends,” said Mane. “And [with] Ginni, it’s more than football, because our relationship came naturally. Because, when I was in Liverpool, we came at the same time, and he is this kind of person that once he is in the team he becomes friends with everybody. Everybody likes him.
“He is special, and this is the reason when I was there we’ve been good friends – and he was always in my house. Sometimes he would call me to come to my house, and I’m like, ‘No, not yet. Get out of here!’”
“He always wants to make fun, and I like this about him. He has a good heart; I can speak about him until tomorrow non-stop. He is amazing and we’re still keeping contact. And that’s really important.”
