#Allezlesbleus: Why France is the only African team in Russia
By Margaret Chikwendu…
Nigeria, Egypt and Morroco all left Russia early and our last hope was dashed when Senegal was also sent home using the fair play rule.
The fair play code is used to determine which team qualifies for the next round and is the third alternative to winning the match or scoring higher points than the opponents.
Africans were diverted in supporting teams as the hole continent was majorly divided among Portugal, Argentina and France. Portugal and Argentina have also been sent home during the weekend so France is Africa’s last hope.
Why is France an European country Africa’s last hope you may ask? It’s because 14 out of 23 players of the French team are African or of African descent.
1. Kylian Mbappé – Cameroon/Algeria
19 year old striker Mbappe is one of the top goal scorers in the tournament. He is a bundle of raw talent and the second most expensive football player in the French League. His father is from Cameroon while his mother is Algerian.
2. Paul Pogba – Guinea
Manchester United’s Pogba first caught the world’s attention during his transfer to the club which cost €105 million and made him the most expensive footballer at the time. He comes from a family of footballers, his elder brother Florentin plays for French club Saint Ètiene and Mathias plays for Dutch club Sparta Rotterdem and the Guinea national football team.
3. Ousmane Dembélé – Senegal/Mali
In 2017 Dembele was tied with Pogba as the most expensive football player after transferring from Dortmund to Barcelona with a fee of €105 million. His father is from Mali while his mother is Mauritian and Senegalese.
4. Samuel Umtiti – Cameroon
Cameroonian Umtiti is an awesome defender. His first name Samuel and his origin country reminds us all of Samuel Eto, another Samuel from Cameroon.
5. N’Golo Kante – Mali
N’golo Kante born to Malian migrants has been described by Alex Ferguson as by far the best player in the field. Kante currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Chelsea.
6. Corentin Tolisso – Togo
Bayern Munich’s Tolisso was called by Togo manager Claude Le Roy to play for the Togolese national team in 2016 but he deferred acknowledging his ties to Togo through his paternal lineage but remained loyal to France.
7. Presnel Kimpembe – Congo
Kimpembe was born to a Congolese father and an Haitian mother. The 22 year old currently plays as a defender in Paris Saint-German.
8. Blaise Matuidi – DR Congo/Angola
French-Congolese Niska paid tribute to Matuidi by creating the song “Matuidi Charo (PSG)” and dance of the Charo, dance of the vulture, which was then popularized on the football field by Matuidi. Matuidi plays as a central midfielder for Juventus.
9. Adil Rami – Morocco
Moroccan Adil Rami was also asked to play for the Moroccan national team. He also declined choosing to play for France instead.
10. Steven N’zonzi – DR Congo
N’zonzi first debuted for the French U-21 team. The Congolese football association asked him to play for the team but he declined due to the structural and administrative problems. He, however, stated that he might play for the team in future.
11. Nabil Fekir – Algeria
Fekir played for Algeria in friendlies against Oman and Qatar in March 2015 but moved over to France to play in friendlies against Denmark and Brazil. Fekir also played for the French U-21 team.
12. Steven Mandanda – DR Congo
Goalkeeper Mandanda moved to France with his family as a teenager. His 3 younger brothers are also goalkeepers: Parfait, goalkeeper of Charleroi and Congolese international; Riffi, goalkeeper of AC Ajaccio and France U-16; and Over, who was in the junior ranks of US Lusitanos Saint-Maur.
13. Benjamin Mendy – Senegal
At 23, Mendy has already played for big clubs like Marseille, Monaco and is currently in Manchester City.
14. Djibril Sidibé – Senegal
Sidibé was called up to the senior squad for the first time for a friendly against Italy. The right back currently plays for Monaco.
So, you see, It’s because 14 out of 23 players of the French team are African or of African descent.
But what do I know, I am just here sipping my bottle of Star Lager…
