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A number of football's current stars can trace their origins to African countries, even though they have decided to represent other nations in international football
The greatest tournament in African history, the Africa Cup of Nations, could have had a completely different look and feel if some of these football greats decided to represent their less-dominant country over the country that they grew up in.
Super Eagles missing some serious talent
The outlay of Nigeria’s national team could have looked markedly different if they were afforded the services of Premier League stars Bukayo Saka and Manuel Akanji, who both have Nigerian blood running through their veins.
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Crystal Palace’s Eagles’ duo of Ebere Eze and Michael Olise have so far decided not to make the step up to become Super Eagles despite interest from Nigeria and have chosen to remain with England and France, respectively, for the time being.
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Bayern Munich starlet Jamal Musiala is another who could have starred for the Super Eagles at AFCON 2023 thanks to his Nigerian-British father, but the former England youth international has pitched his senior international tent with Germany instead, while former Arsenal star Folarin Balogun decided to play for the United States after being rejected by England.
African giants without key stars
Nigeria are not the only AFCON bigwigs who could have benefitted from some of their foreign nationals, as hosts Ivory Coast could have bolstered their squad with names like Manchester City defensive stalwart Nathan Ake, who plays for the Netherlands despite his Ivorian heritage.
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He is joined by Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry, who has played for Germany since the youth levels despite being born to an Ivorian father.
Ghana pulled off a coup to steal Inaki Williams from Spain but were unable to convince his brother Nico Williams to make the same international switch.
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They also lost the battles for AC Milan’s Yunus Musah, who plays for the United States, and Bayern Munich’s roadrunner Alphonso Davies, who was born in Buduburam, Ghana, to Liberian refugee parents.
Memphis Depay has made it a point of note to resonate with his Ghanaian roots but is on his way to becoming an icon of the Netherlands national team, while Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah refused the chance to go to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, instead choosing to wait for an England call-up.
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Cameroon could have had one of the all-time greats in Kylian Mbappe as one of the Indomitable Lions’ crucial stars for AFCON 2023, but the Paris Saint-Germain man has always known that he would play for France and has been rewarded with a World Cup winners’ medal for his efforts.
Another French star, Aurelien Tchouaméni, also has Cameroonian roots but, like Switzerland’s Breel Embolo, chose to represent a European powerhouse.
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But for personal decisions, Germany’s Leroy Sane could have gone the way of his father to play for the Senegalese national team, but the Bayern Munich star decided to play with Die Mannschaft, while Ousmane Dembele, who is eligible to play for the Teranga Lions, has also decided to ignore his Senegalese roots.
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Another French star, Karim Benzema, could have been at the Ivory Coast tournament, but his decision to jettison his Algerian side for France has left him with an overly dramatic international career.
Arguably the biggest name in world football, Cristiano Ronaldo could have had an incredible impact on the Africa Cup of Nations if he had played for Cape Verde where he was eligible through his paternal great-grandmother who was from the African Island.
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AFCON minnows DR Congo could also have used the contributions of Manchester United’s Aaron Wan Bissaka and Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, both of whom could have played for the African country if they both desired.
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