BINATIONAUX

The lure of competing in a major tournament means there will be a bevy of new players on display at January’s Africa cup of Nations, as participating countries turn to the diaspora to beef up their squads for the tournament.

It is no longer only on the dusty fields of Africa where the majority of international talent begin their journeys. As much as countries still seek their next stars on home soil, they now also actively search among the migrant communities in europe for readymade talent to bolster their chances.

The French call them “Binationaux”, and players of African descent born and/or raised in europe are changing the face of the continent’s top tournament.

For years now, countries that were former colonies of France and Portugal have taken advantage of a steady stream of players who