Players wit African roots wey dey shine for Euro 2024

Yamal, Mbappe, Saka, Musiala — As di Euros reach di business end of tins, some players wit Africa roots like Musiala, Yamal, Williams and Frimpong dey shine

Di Euro 2024 tournament don reach di business side of tins – as di big boys don dey separate from di kiddies.

Tins enta di quarterfinals wey anibody wey go slack, go pack dia tins by di next available flight take comot Germany.

So far some players don dey shine, odas wey pipo tink say na big names, neva represent for di party.

We know say defending champions Italy don pack dia bags comot afta Switzerland hammer dem 2-0 for di R16.

Belgium wey dey carry di tag as di team wit di golden generation, neva show for di tournament as France beat dem 1-0 for di R16.

Croatia wia dey do well for Euros and di world cup ova di last eight years don comot for group stage.

But since di competition start, some players wit African roots don dey do well. If not for one reason or di oda, dis players fit to dey play for kontris in Africa.

Dis na some of di players wey dey do well so far for di championship.

Jamal Musiala

Evribodi sabi Musiala from im club Bayern Munich. Di 21-year-old attacking midfielder already bin dey lead di goal scorers chart wit 3 goals. Im na one of di key players for host kontri Germany for dis tournament.

Apart from say im dey lead di goal king chart, im overall display inside games dey impress im coach and sabi pipo.

Julian Nagglesman say make Musiala “enjoy im football witout pressure”.

But Jamala Musiala get rich heritage. Im fit to play for England, Nigeria or Poland. Musiala im papa na British-Nigerian.

Musiala decide say im go play for Germany wia dem born am – dis don dash di slim hope of Nigerians.

For dis tournament, Musial na di poster boy for Germany as im dey lead from midfield – team wey get big names like Gundogan, Muller, Sane, Havertz, Wirtz among odas.

Some pipo already begin dey tip am as potential player of di tournament, but Germany gatz to face Spain for di quarterfinal; dat game na blockbuster wia di whole world go dey watch.

Lamine Yamal

Di Barcelona winger don enta di limelight afta den coach Xavi Xernandez give am chance to play for di senior team.

Since den, Yamal don dey shine from club side to di national team wia im dey only 16 years.

Yamal win La liga U-23 player of di 2023/24 season afta im play 50 games for Barcelona for all competitions.

For dis Euros, di 16-year-old winger na one of di key players for Spain coach De la Fuente.

From di four games im play so far, Yamal don grab 2 assists, same as Xavi Simmons (Netherlands), Marcel Aebischer (Switzerland), Nathan Ake (Netherlands).

Im already get 11 attempts (2.75 average per match), 79.75% pass accuracy and 29.49km distance wia im cover, according to Uefa.

Di teenager also become di youngest player to begin match for di Euros wia im also na di youngest player to grab assist for di tournament.

But Yamal fit play for either Morocco or Equatorial Guinea, di kontris of im parents – but im choose Spain wia dem born am.

Spain coach De la Fuente go hope say Yamal go get good game vs Germany for dia quarterfinal clash.

Nico Williams

Nico Williams na younger brother of Athletic Bilbao and Black Stars striker, Inaki Williams.

Inaki bin decide to play for Ghana in August 2022 afta di football association pursue am for many months.

But im younger brother Nico Williams wey also dey eligible to play for Ghana, decide to play for Spain, wia dem born dem.

Nico im papa and mama don trek for desert from Ghana for greener pastures – dem dey go UK bifor one gang bin seize dia savings.

Dem eventually detain dem for one Spanish enclave for North Africa bifor dia legal counsel advise dem to claim asylum.

Nico wey bin reflect on di journey of im parents tok say “I tank God say we all dey togedanow wit good life. My parents now dey watch dia pikins dey shine – evritin we dey do na for our parents.”

Im tok say dem “risk dia life so me and my brother Inaki go get beta future. I go forever appreciate wetin dem do for us,” im tok BBC sport.

For dis Euros, Nico na one of di standout players for Spain.

Im be di only player for di Euros since 1980, to score and grab assist and complete 100% of im passes for di game wey im start.

So far im play 3 games wit 1 goal and 1 assist. Im also get 7 goal attempts wit 89.67% passing accuracy according to Uefa.

Tori dey go around say Barcelona bin dey wan sign di 21-year-old.

Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe im papa from Cameroon wey im mama from France.

Di former PSG forward na one of di best players for di world, wia im get roots for Africa.

For July 2023, as im return to Yaounde, im tok say im dey happy to return to di kontri.

“Na honour to be wit my family and to see all di pipo wey dem show me so much love,” Mpabbe tok reporters.

“I get many plans for and projects for Cameroon for di children and for di future.”

Mbappe don sign for Madrid bifor di Euros – wia so far im play 3 games despite im nose injury score one goal wit one assist.

Di Real Madrid player get 15 goal attempts wit 91.34% pass accuracy and for dia blockbuster quarterfinal game vs Portugal, all eyes go dey im top to lead im team against Cristiano Ronaldo and im squad.

Kwadwo Antwi Duah

Kwadwo bin score for Switzerland against Hungary for di opening group game of di Euros. Di 27 year-old striker don dey play for club side Ludogoretz for Bulgaria.

Dem born am for London to Ghanaian parents for 1997 but im play im first game for di Swiss for one friendly vs Estonia bifor di tournament.

Duah become one of di three players to score on dia European debut for di Swiss national team.

Afta di game im tok say im still dey dream.

“Dis na my second international game, wey I score my first goal – I make very happy wia I dedicate dis goal to evri one wey don believe in me, di coach. No be evri player wey dey play for Bulgaria fit get invite to play for Switzerland,” im tok.

For di summer of 2022, Kwadwo Duah bin receive invite by di Ghana Football Association for di playoff matches for di 2022 world cup against Nigeria, but im reject di offer.

Now im become popular for Switzerland afta im score dia opening goal for di tournament – im go hope say for dia quarterfinal match wit England, dem go win and progress.

Breel Embolo

Embolo wey bin play for Monaco score Switzerland im 3rd goal for dia 3-1 win vs Hungary.

So far im play 4 games wit 3 attempts and 87% pass accuracy.

Embolo get Cameroonian roots – im den im family leave di kontri wit im family di time im dey 5 years.

Dem spend some time for France bifor dem settle for Switzerland.

For di 2022 world cup, Embolo neva celebrate afta im score vs Cameroon sake of na di kontri of im birth.

Since im debut for 2015, im now get ova 60 caps for Switzerland and im dey look to get more games for di Euro.

Di 27-year-old still dey visit Cameroon for holidays wia im also dey visit family and oda friends.

Manuel Obafemi Akanji

Akanji get Swiss mama and Nigerian papa. Im papa also play football.

Im get di super eagles emblem wia dem tatoo for im arm.

Akanji tok say “for Nigeria, I wan help di kids wey no get same luck as I get as I don dey grow up for Switzerland.”

Di Manchester city defender say Burna Boy na im favourite artiste.

But for dis Euros, Akanji play all 4 games so far. From dis games, im recover 29 balls, win 3 tackles wia im get 93.75% pass accuracy.

Im be key player for di Swiss national team.

For dia quarterfinal game wit England, Akanji go meet im club teammates – Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and John Stones.

Bukayo Saka

Dem born Saka to Yoruba parents – im name sef dey give anybody hint wia im comot.

Di Arsenal winger represent England for di youth levels wia im do same for im senior career.

Nigeria Football Federation don try to bring saka but na impossible to do dat afta im play all im youth level football for England.

For 2020, Saka tok say im decide to choose England sake of dem “get bright future.”

“I feel like I dey proud of my Nigeria heritage, I dey watch dia games wey I wish dem all di best. Dem born my mama for Nigeria, my papa for England but di two of dem grow for Nigeria – dat be wia dem meet each oda,” Saka tok.

Saka dey influential for Arsenal last season na so England fans dey hope say im go rise to di occasion for dis Euros.

Saka play 4 games so far, wia im get one assist. Im get 4 goal attempts wit 90.5% pass accuracy.

Gareth Southgate go hope say Saka go inspire England vs Switzerland for di quarterfinals.

Jeremy Frimpong

Jeremy Frimpong na one of di key players for title-winning Bayer Leverkusen wit 8 goals last season.

Di 23-year-old play 31 games for im club bifor Dutch coach Ronald Koeman call am for di Euros.

Di Ghana football association bin pursue Frimpong but im reject di invite to play for Ghana.

Im tok say di Ghana coach at di time don call am in 2023, but im make im mind to play for Netherlands.

Frimpong now make im senior debut for Netherlands for dia Euro 2024 qualifiers against France.

At di tournament so far, Frimpong play 2 games for di Netherlands wia im get 95% pass accuracy.

Di right wing-back cover 10.06km distance wia im win 2 tackles and 2 ball recoveries.

Di Leverkusen player dey hope im national team go stay for di tournament and progress to di final – but dem gatz to first beat Turkey for di quarterfinals