Euro soccer glory has roots in Africa

Published on: 12 July 2016
Euro soccer glory has roots in Africa
Eder

MASS migration and the concept of a global village has had fewer clearer examples than the just completed European Championship during which a goal from a striker born in West Africa decided the outcome of a distinctly multicultural tournament.

Goal hero Eder drilled home a late extra-time winner in Sunday’s final against France to hand Portugal its first major competition victory. It emphasised how the world’s demographics are changing rapidly as mankind moves and resettles with increasing ease.

The 28-year-old Eder is originally from Guinea Bissau‚ one of Portugal’s five former African colonies‚ and is among myriad players in the line-up who could also qualify to play for an African national team.

Portugal’s brilliant teenage midfielder, Renato Sanches‚ named the player of the tournament‚ has a father from Sao Tome e Principe, and a mother from Cape Verde. Nani‚ who took over the captaincy when injured Cristiano Ronaldo went off‚ was born in Cape Verde, while midfield enforcer William Carvalho first saw the light of day in Luanda‚ Angola.

The runners-up were also dripping with African talent: Patrice Evra was born in Senegal, and Bacary Sagna and Moussa Sissoko are of Senegalese descent; Paul Pogba is of Guinea n descent; Dimitri Payet was born on the island of Reunion; and Blaise Matuidi has origins in the Congo.

In all, there were 16 players with African roots in Sunday’s decider at the Stade de France. It is a legacy of colonialism and‚ in a sense‚ something of a missed opportunity for Africa. Footballers may only play for one country and once they have committed themselves at senior level to one‚ that is the flag they must forever carry.

As more and more of Europe’s top talent emerges from the African diaspora — the offspring of consistent migration north since the 1960s — so the scramble to claim the loyalty of top talent has become more intense.

France has the biggest African migrant population and most of its junior internationals in the past decade have African roots. Only the best go on to play for the French senior side, but even some of the top talent is beginning to be picked off by African countries‚ who tug at family heartstrings and irritate the French establishment.

Recently, France saw one of its best young talents‚ Yassine Benzia‚ declare for Algeria after playing for the French at every junior level. He is being touted as the "next Karim Benzema", although now he will not be able to match the exploits of the Real Madrid striker in Les Bleus colours after Algeria wasted no time in tying him down to their cause by handing him his first cap in March’s African Nations Cup qualifier against Ethiopia.

He went straight into the starting line-up after being assiduously courted by Mohamed Raouraoua‚ the president of Algerian football, who has made it his business to raid the large diaspora in France for talent to strengthen his country’s national team.

Algeria’s progress since the new rules on nationality were introduced in late 2003 has seen them become the number one African side in the Fifa rankings.

But for every player gained, there is one lost.

A prime example is Ngolo Kante‚ who was an unknown when Leicester City signed him at the start of last season, but rapidly emerged as the key contributor to their surprise Premier League success. France gave him a first cap in March, but if Mali had moved quicker, he could well have been playing for them.

They did not react when Leicester signed him as an unknown last July‚ despite a fair amount of publicity‚ and by January, were behind in the race for his loyalty. Ironically, Kante has said that if he had got a call-up in 2015, he would have been happy to play for the land of his forefathers instead of France‚ where he was born.

Africa benefits greatly from an increased talent pool among the children of the diaspora. The current African Footballer of the Year, Pierre Aubameyang of Gabon, was born in France‚ raised in Italy and has a Spanish mother.

But the continent has also missed many an opportunity — as evidenced by the rich array of talent on display for both France and Portugal on Sunday night during the final.

Source: bdlive.co.za

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