Africans at Euro 2008

Written by Kevin Johnson-Azuara | June 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

With the European Championship in full swing in Austria and Switzerland we take a look at some players who could have also represented an African nation. There could have been more Afro-European players present if Belgium, which has many players of Congolese origin, had qualified.Unsurprisingly, the players on show at Euro 2008 could easily form a formidable team of their own.Undoubtedly, France with a long tradition of using African-born talent has the largest Afro contingent. Claude Makelele and Steve Madanda were born in Congo DR; Patrick Vieira and Patrice Evra could have played for Senegal; Lassana Diarra’s family is from Mali; and Sidney Govou is the son of a former Beninois international. The two stars of the new generation of players, Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri, are of Algerian descent. The dawning era has been heralded as “Benasri” by the French, and Nasri has been nicknamed the ‘new Zidane,’ as he also grew up in the south of France in an immigrant family. The latest addition to Les Bleus, Bafetimbi Gomis, flirted between France and Senegal, before eventually making the French team.

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Tags: , Afellay, Benzema, Bosingwa, Boulahrouz, Diarra, Djorou, Evra, Fernandes, Gomis, Govou, Larsson Subs: Schabaan, Madanda, Makelele, Miguel, Nani, Nasri, Odonkor, Vieira