Until last weekend, Desire Segbe Azankpo drove his best friend Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich’s training facility, Sabener Strasse.
Azankpo has had an impressive professional career, winning seven caps for his native Benin while playing for Luxembourg club Jeunesse Esch, Oldham Athletic, Dunkerque, and most recently, Romanian club Dinamo București.
The 29-year-old had been without a club this summer and had spent time with Mane following his move to Munich to help him adjust to his new club and city, including driving his close friend to training – acting as his chauffeur.
Azankpo has been without a club for over a month after being released by French third-tier club Dunkerque.
According to Germany’s Sport Bild, everything changed last week when he was offered a two-year contract with Bayern’s reserve team, which is coached by club legend Martin Demichelis, after impressing in trials.
Mane and the Benin striker met at Generation Foot in Senegal, where they both honed their skills before joining Ligue 1 side Metz in 2012.
However, while the Senegalese superstar impressed and earned moves to Austria with Red Bull Salzburg before moving to the Premier League with Southampton and Liverpool, Azankpo was relegated to the reserve team and began his journey through the lower tier leagues in France, England, Slovakia, Romania and Luxembourg.
He’ll soon be able to play for Bayern II in the Bavarian regional league, and maybe even line up with his friend in the senior team.
