The 1998 World Cup win for France was built on players with roots in Africa and the French Caribbean — Marcel Desailly, Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, a young Thierry Henry. Twenty years later, the pattern was even more stark. France’s 2018 squad included Adil Rami, Presnel Kimpembe, Raphaël Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Paul Pogba, Benjamin Mendy, Blaise Matuidi, N’Golo Kanté, Steve Nzonzi, Nabil Fekir, Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé. A full 78% of that team came from families with roots outside mainland France. Social media called them “Africa FC” while they lifted the trophy — and Africa itself had one of its worst World Cup showings since 1982, with no nation advancing past the group stage.
The colonial legacy that shaped French football
France’s approach to football development and national identity traces back to colonial policy. Unlike the British empire, France pushed assimilation in its colonies — the mission civilisatrice — aiming to turn colonised people into “civilised” French citizens with equal rights on paper. That policy created a pipeline of talent from Africa and the Caribbean into the French national team. Exactly 20 years after that first World Cup win, the second one proved the system had only deepened.
Many African-heritage players choose European national teams over their countries of origin. The answer is messy. Some feel genuine kinship with the countries they grew up in. Others make an active calculation.
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Take Kobbie Mainoo. Born in Stockport to Ghanaian parents, he chose a squad role behind Jude Bellingham for England. The Ghana FA president, Kurt Okraku, called it “unfortunate,” saying “full-blooded Ghanaians should be representing their countries.” But Mainoo isn’t alone.
When representing Africa comes with costs
African football lacks prestige and institutional respect. Players choosing to represent an African nation sometimes face pressure from their clubs. In 2022, the Senegalese federation accused Watford of refusing to release Ismaila Sarr for the Africa Cup of Nations as the Premier League club neared relegation. Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis made an explicit statement: he would not sign African players unless they waived their right to play at AFCON. This was while Kalidou Koulibaly — Napoli’s star defender — captained Senegal.
The consequences show in the numbers. Players with African heritage increasingly reject call-ups or switch allegiances. The Boateng brothers illustrate the divide. Jérôme became a German legend. Kevin-Prince said he was pushed out of Ghana’s squad mid-World Cup for demanding better terms and timely pay for teammates. When the experience of representing an African nation means logistical chaos and a federation that doesn’t value its players, European football looks much safer.
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There’s also war and displacement. Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich was born in Ghana as a Liberian refugee and now captains Canada. Alexander Isak and Taha Ali play for Sweden, born to Eritrean and Somali refugee parents. Australia’s Socceroos have a whole contingent: Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Touré, Awer Mabil, Tete Yengi — all children of refugees.
The talent pipeline is real — investment is not
It’s easy to dismiss African football as underdeveloped. But the academies tell a different story. Legendary Premier League players Yaya and Kolo Touré, Didier Zokora, Emmanuel Eboué, Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba all came through ASEC Mimosas in Abidjan. Senegal’s golden generation — Sadio Mané, Ismaila Sarr, Papiss Cissé — started at Génération Foot in Dakar. Idrissa Gueye built his foundation at Patrick Vieira’s Diambars in Saly.
What Africa needs is management and investment. FIFA mandates solidarity payments of just 5% of any transfer fee, divided across every club that trained a player between ages 12 and 23. Well-negotiated sell-on clauses could have given Génération Foot a meaningful share of Mané’s eventual £35m valuation. But grassroots academies rarely have the legal leverage to secure those terms.
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South Africa offers a mixed picture. Football is culturally seen as a “lower-class” sport there. Private schools push cricket and rugby. Yet the Soweto Derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs packs stadiums. The 2010 World Cup infrastructure — the Gautrain, the stadiums — has been used well. Mamelodi Sundowns’ philosophy called “Shoeshine & Piano” blends Spanish tiki-taka with South African diski, producing a dominant possession game. They were the only sub-Saharan African side at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, built largely on homegrown players.
Talent has never been the question. The academies of Dakar and Abidjan produce world-class players. Sundowns show a coherent footballing philosophy can compete globally. The template exists. What Africa needs is the acumen and framework to match its ambition — treating players as assets worth retaining rather than resources to export. Players in the diaspora will keep doing what’s best for their careers. The real question is whether Africa can make staying home worth it.
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