The world is a closer, more intrinsic village than ever. The insularity of years past has been greatly reduced thanks to relentless migration and boundless procreation. That you will meet a man from another country at least once a day is an increasingly growing possibility. It’s indeed a global village - the world.
Through the eyes of footballers, this fact has become more apparent. When you watch the AFCON, you get to see tens or even hundreds of footballers who are coming from a different culture. They identify as Africans simply by their names and their parents’ ‘funny’ accents, and when opportunities thin out at their places of birth, they choose to rest in the waiting arms of an African football federation. Many of those don’t have the quality it takes to thrive in Europe. Forget what you’re told when they become more stable.
Some of them never even become stable. They just accept the situation as their reality. Think of English-born Wilfred Zaha complaining about having to share hotel rooms or French-born Pierre Emerick Aubameyang sleeping on the bare floors of a Gambian airport. Bring it closer and see the more recent case of the latest AFCON top scorer Emilio Nsue, who was born in Spain, complaining bitterly about how Equatoguinean football administrators hate him. The stories are enormous. Those men just accept to play when the options fly out the window. Sometimes, they even get some minutes in their countries of birth, proudly singing those anthems and having their families buzz for a moment. Wilfred Zaha and England comes to mind again. Used and dumped, Ivorians will chuckle.
Former Liverpool defender and ex-England international Stephen Caulker may feel some sense of pride in playing for Sierra Leone but one would ask if he’d ever pick the West African nation’s call had his England career gone great.
Playing for their countries of birth make footballers feel some sense of pride and bravado. It gives bragging rights. For the footballer of African descent, it means they stand out from a great pool of talents, and are daring the odds in lands they’ll be singled out for blame when things go awry, and be the face of defeat even when they barely feature. It takes some courage to chin up, more than the comfort it serves on better days.
It’s also probably better than playing for their parents’ countries where they just hum when others sing the national anthem and feel in similar skins but different elements.
When they manage to sing their anthems with pride, viv and energy, they also remember that behind every strong note of those songs comes the pain, tears and unspeakable difficulty their parents have had to withstand. That’s the pride they hold closest to heart, and why it means so much for their families.
Germany are hosts of the 2024 Euros and are known to have a strong international presence. That diversity is not generally acceptable as one would expect. To be German or live in Germany and be coloured is a great test and only those who have lived that experience will tell it better. From a team which only had its first player of African descent in a major tournament in 2002, Germany’s squad at this Euros has five players born of African parents.
Musiala shone like a million stars in their opener against Scotland while Toni Rudiger, Jonathan Tah and Leroy Sane all had impressive games. There are hundreds of others waiting on the wings, desirous of gracing grand stages and carrying the story of their parents on their backs.
In France, Les Bleus have become an immense cultural identity, the hope of the African immigrant in France and an example of the possibility that is. France have achieved great success with their squad of footballers with African ancestry. While the French have a rich history of such representations, with very many key historical figures with African roots, the current setup lays credence to the greatness that’s possible from an African migrant.
As Mbappe wines and dines with Emmanuel Macron and sets an example of what’s possible for African parents and an African child, many other countries now reach deep into their diversity to forge an inclusive representation.
The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, England, Austria, Belgium and Portugal all have at least one player of African descent in their squads to the Euros. With more than 50 players of African ancestry at the tournament, there are at least 8 players from an African background in every 100 at the tournament. Relative to what was obtainable in the past, where the future is headed must look even more promising for the African migrant.
Lukaku and Onana bump chests - Mangala and Doku in image. All African kids representing Belgium at the Euros
Their children can scream anthems in lands once deemed foreign and will have the privilege of understanding life through various lenses. It’s such grace obtained to through the eyes of the needle, and with the skin of their teeth. For all the promise it offers, it doesn’t remotely explain the average experience of the African immigrant.
However, these men flying flags their parents laboured to have a right to can be proud of their achievements. They are the soul of the world and the reason many will do exactly the same while hoping they make the next stars in years to come.
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