EURO countdown (NO DAYS TO GO) – Why should we care? Most teams have got African boys

Africa is where talent comes from. Everybody knows it. And it becomes ever so apparent when you go through the squad lists of the 24 participating national teams. More than half of them have at least one player with African roots in their ranks, with France, Belgium and Portugal especially rich in talent from around our continent.

Join us at Mozzart Sport Kenya as we take a closer look to see where do the African-European football stars come from.

WALES

Welsh defender Ben Cabango was born in Cardiff to an Angolan father and a Welsh mother. Ethan Kwame Colm Raymond Ampadu's grandfather is Ghanaian. His father Kwame was born in England and has represented the Republic of Ireland, his mother's country.

Ethan Ampadu (©AFP)

BELGIUM

Former Manchester City and Celtic defender Dedryck Anga Boyata was born in Uccle, a suburb of capital Brussels to Congolese parents.

By Jayson Denayer's own admission, football saved him from the streets: drugs, criminality and other problems in the outskirts of Brussels. His family – his dad is Belgian, his mum Congolese – had moved to the Anneessens quarter, one of the deprived areas of Brussels. He used to be on the street a lot.

"You had to be careful, even when you were playing football. One silly contact could cause an explosive atmosphere. I've known boys who were more talented than me, but have never made it. They made other choices. That's the danger of growing up in a tough neighbourhood."

Jayson Denayer (©AFP)

Belgian strikeforce is primarily African.

What can you say about Romelu Menama Lukaku Bolingoli? He's big, he's strong, he scores goals for fun. He's another Belgian-born son of The Democratic Republic of the Congo to shine for the European nation. Former Anderlecht, Chelsea, WBA, Everton and Manchester United goal-getter has just won the Scudetto in his second season with Inter. Even though he's only 28 years old, he'd already bagged over 300 goals at club and international level. And there are many more to come!

Michy Batshuayi-Atunga was eligible to play for the DR Congo national team through his parents. Still, in March 2015, he ruled out this option, stating that although his Congolese heritage is important to him, he would instead represent Belgium. The former Olympique de Marseille forward was signed by Chelsea in 2016 but was sent out on loans to Borussia Dortmund, Valencia and Crystal Palace.

Nacer Chadli and Romelu Lukaku (©AFP)

A dual citizen of Belgium and Morocco, Nacer Chadli was eligible to represent either nation - and he did! He made his debut for Morocco in 2010 in a friendly against Northern Ireland. He was named man of the match as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The following year, however, he announced his intention to represent Belgium at the international level, which was permitted because he had not yet played in a competitive match for Morocco. Since making the switch, Chadli earned over 60 caps for The Red Devils.

Christian Benteke Liolo was born in Kinshasa 31 years ago. He and his family fled during the Mobutu regime and, in 1993, emigrated to Belgium. The big striker made his name playing for Genk and Standard Liege in the Belgian top flight, but it was a move to England that really made him a star. He bagged 49 goals over three seasons with Aston Villa and was picked up by Liverpool in 2015 for a hefty fee of $51 million. Unfortunately, he didn't excel in his sole season at Anfield and moved on to Crystal Palace. Only 33 goals in five seasons isn't a breath-taking record, but his experience is still a valuable asset for Belgium boss Roberto Martinez.

Ghanaian boy Jeremy Doku started his pro career with Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht and was picked up by French Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais for $28.6 million last year. A highly technical player, the young dribbler is a player that is likely to excite Belgian fans in years to come.

DENMARK

Mathias Jattah-Njie Jorgensen was born in Copenhagen in 1990. His father was Gambian, whereas his mother is Danish. Apart from Denmark, the experienced 31-year-old defender has played in The Netherlands, England, Turkey and Germany.

Mathias Jorgensen and Yussuf Yurary Poulsen (©AFP)

Yussuf Yurary Poulsen is the son of a Tanzanian father and a Danish mother. He visited Tanzania several times as a child and still has a strong bond with his dad's homeland. The 26-year-old striker was eligible to play for Tanzania but did not receive any offers from the Taifa Stars. As a result, he chose to represent his native Denmark.

FINLAND

Nikolai Aleksanteri Alho's biological father is Ghanaian, and his mother is Finnish. He was born 28 years old in the Finnish capital of Helsinki. He's spent most of his career playing for clubs in the far north of Europe before teaming up with Hungarian club MTK Budapest earlier this year.

Born to a Finnish mother and a Namibian father, 26-year-old midfielder Pyry Soiri has elected to represent the country of his birth. He used to play high school football "just for fun" in Namibia and Tanzania before settling in the industrial village of Myllykoski in Finland with his family. He's currently playing for Esbjerg fB in Denmark.

Born in Finland into a family of Sierra Leonean descent, Glen Adjei Kamara started his career in England in the Southend United youth system. He made quite a few headlines when he moved to Arsenal in 2012. However, he'd only made one League Cup appearance in 2015 before being sent out on loans back to Southend and Colchester United. Since 2017, the 25-year-old midfielder has been playing in Scotland for Dundee and Rangers.

Finland's Pyry Soiri in action with Djibril Sow of Switzerland (©AFP)

SWITZERLAND

Yvon Mvogo is likely to sit on the bench as a backup for the established Yann Sommer.­­ The Yaoundé-born goalkeeper moved from Cameroon to Switzerland with his family when he was six years old. These days he's plying his trade with PSV Eindhoven in The Netherlands.

His teammate Manuel Akanji was born in Switzerland to a Swiss mother and Nigerian father. Jordan Lotomba was born in Switzerland and is of Angolan descent through his father and of Congolese descent through his mother. Former Newcastle United and Young Boys right-back Kevin Mbabu is Swiss-born to a Congolese mother and a French father.

Manuel Akanji (©AFP)

Edimilson Fernandes is of Cape Verdean descent. Djibril Sow has a Senegalese dad, and Denis Zakaria was born in Geneva, Switzerland, to a South Sudanese mother and Congolese father. Cameroon-born Breel Embolo was naturalised in December 2014. He said recently that he is "probably 60 or 70% Swiss now, even more so than I'm African."

AUSTRIA

Real Madrid's latest recruit and a long-serving Bayern all-arounder, David Alaba, will represent his father's Nigerian roots in the Euro 2020 tournament. His father George is a Yoruba prince from Ogun State. He was famously a DJ and a recording artist in the 1980s. George's close friend's son Karim Onisiwo was also eligible to play for the Super Eagles but has since decided to become an Austrian international. The 29-year-old isn't a regular, however, having earned just eight caps. Still, it's not bad for a guy who started an apprenticeship as a car mechanic aged 17, thinking he'd never make it.

Valentino Lazaro and David Alaba (©AFP)

Valentino Lando Lazaro was born in Graz, Austria, to an Angolan father and a Greek mother. Even though he's only 25 years old, he's already played in Austria, Germany, Italy and England. Although still an Inter player, he's spent the past two years on loans with Newcastle United and Borussia Monchengladbach. The classy winger could be a difference-maker for the country he represented over 30 times since making his bow in 2014.

THE NETHERLANDS

Nathan Ake's father is from Cote d'Ivoire. Even though he's never been there, the Manchester City defender claims that he'd like to visit his relatives in West Africa.

Memphis Depay was born in 1994 to a Dutch mother and a Ghanaian father. But Memphis doesn't ever want to be reminded of his biological dad Dennis Depay after he'd walked out on him and his family. So the former Manchester United midfielder refuses to carry his father's surname on the back of his shirts – preferring to be referred to simply as Memphis.

Cody Gakpo's father is originally from Togo, where he played at a high level. When he moved to The Netherlands, he even played for PSV's amateur side - at the club, his son is now a full professional. At 22 years of age, winger Cody has been called up for the European Championship but is yet to appear for Oranje.

ENGLAND

Arsenal's bright starlet Bukayo Saka was born in England to Nigerian parents and has even considered playing for the Super Eagles as a boy. But since his father was also born in the United Kingdom, the Three Lions ultimately won the race for the skilful winger.

"I feel like I'm proud of my Nigerian heritage. I always still watch Nigeria's games where I can, and I wish them all the best and support them all the way. But I've seen the process of how England are transforming, and I think in the future they're going to do great stuff. So I feel like it was right for me to choose England."

SPAIN

Adama Traoré Diarra was born in Spain to Malian parents and has started his career with Barcelona. He moved to Aston Villa in 2015 as a 19-year-old and has established himself as a household name in England since. He played for Middlesbrough before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club he's still playing for. A speedy winger, Adama is known for his dribbling ability that could add something extra to La Furia Roja setup.

SWEDEN

Alexander Isak has always been destined to make it. Born in Solna to Eritrean parents, Isak joined the club he supported, AIK, at the age of six. Ten years later, he made his first-team debut. He is AIK's youngest scorer ever and also Sweden's, netting against Slovakia in January 2017. He's playing for Real Sociedad in Spain and has had an excellent season behind him. He's often compared to the great Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his technical ability.

Carl Henrik Jordan Larsson, the 23-year-old son of former Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United hitman Henrik Larsson, is of Cape Verdean descent. The youngster is plying his goalscoring trade in the Russian Premier League with Spartak Moscow and is showing a lot of promise. Starring for his country in such a high-profile tournament would certainly help his career blossom.

Jordan Larsson and Alexander Isak (©AFP)

Robin Quaison, child of a Ghanaian father and a Swedish mother, has been at Mainz since 2017 and recently became their joint all-time top scorer. However, with the national team, it has been more stop-start. Having made his debut in 2013, he has eight goals in 24 caps going into the Euros eight years later.

After raising enough money to travel from Congo to another part of the world, Ken Sema's parents Ndongala and Kiadila, left Kinshasa in 1987 and travelled to try their luck in Sweden. Over three decades later, their boy is representing the Scandinavian country at the Euro 2020 tournament. But even though he was born and raised in Sweden, he must always explain his roots.

"Of course, it has to do with skin colour. When I say that I am Swedish, many people are surprised. Then they ask where I originally came from. Sometimes I get nasty comments, but things are changing. I hope that we wouldn't have to talk about things like this in Sweden in 10 years."

FRANCE

The reigning world champions have a solid African contingent in their ranks. Les Bleus have benefited from the influx of Africans over the past few decades. Their 2021 squad is no different.

Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda is likely to sit out the tournament on the bench. Still, his experience and reputation are a big asset to Didier Deschamps, who is sure to pick captain Hugo Lloris between the sticks. Steve has earned the nickname Frenchie amongst his relatives for his decision to play for the French national football team rather than Congo, his country of birth.

Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Presnel Kimpembe was born in Beaumont-sur-Oise, France, to a Congolese father and a Haitian mother. He played a single match for DR Congo Under-20s before switching his allegiance to France. Likewise, Sevilla's diminutive Paris-born defender Jules Kounde is of Beninese descent, and Kurt Zouma's parents emigrated to France from the Central African Republic.

Midfielders N'Golo Kante and Moussa Sissoko are both sons of Malian parents, while Corentin Tolisso has Togolese roots.

Born to Guinean parents, Manchester United's midfield maestro Paul Pogba grew up in the eastern suburbs of Paris. He never had any doubt about which country he'd prefer to play for.

"It was a dream when I started with the national team in France. My brothers played for Guinea, but I wanted to play for France. They were born in Guinea, and they always said: 'we'll take care of Guinea, and you take care of France'.

France's dangerous goalscorer Kylian Mbappe's father Wilfried is from Cameroon and his mother Fayza Lamari is of Algerian origin. Kylian was born in Paris. Monaco's sharpshooter Wissam Ben Yedder is of Tunisian descent. Ousmane Dembele's mother is French of Mauritanian and Senegalese descent, while his father is from Mauritania.

Real Madrid legend Karim Mostafa Benzema was born in Lyon and is of Algerian descent. He's recently picked up an injury in a friendly against Bulgaria, but he should be fine to appear in the Euro 2020.

GERMANY

Chelsea's defender Antonio Rudiger was born and raised in the German capital Berlin and represents the country of his birth at the international level, but has never forgotten his African roots and is proud of his dual heritage. Furthermore, he has also revealed it was the influence of his parents, who have since returned to live in Sierra Leone, along with his experiences growing up in one of Berlin's toughest neighbourhoods.

"Even though I was born and raised in Germany, I also have to recognise there's another country that's part of me, so 100 per cent I'm very proud of that. I visited Sierra Leone when I was 15, and I would like to go back there as soon as possible to see how things are going. It is a country that needs help, and I will try my best to help."

Attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala was born in Stuttgart, Germany to a British-Nigerian father and German mother. Even though he represented England at every youth level, he ultimately chose to play for Germany at the senior level. The 18-year-old Bayern prodigy is considered a future star.

Jamal Musiala, Antonio Rudiger and Serge Gnabry (©AFP)

Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry said he dumped Ivory Coast to play for Germany because he was born and raised in the European country. Gnabry, born to an Ivorian father and a German mother in Stuttgart, disclosed that he was approached by the Ivorian football governing body in 2014, but he turned them down to get a spot in Joachim Low's team.

"The Ivorian association contacted me and asked for a meeting to convince me to play for their senior national team, but it was always clear to me that I was born and raised in Germany. So I always wanted to play for the German senior national team."

Leroy Sane is the offspring of former German rhythmic gymnast Regina Weber and former Senegalese international footballer Souleymane Sane. Souleymane, better known as Samy, scored 29 goals in 55 games as a striker for Senegal in the 1990s.

PORTUGAL

Did you know that Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is part-African? On his father's side, his great-grandmother, Isabel da Piedade, was from the island of Sao Vicente in Cape Verde. Nelson Semedo is also of Cape Verdean descent.

Quite a few of the Portuguese team have Angolan roots. Young full-back Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes and William Silva de Carvalho are closely tied to the African country.

Danilo Pereira and Cristiano Ronaldo go against Paul Pogba (©AFP)

Defensive midfielder Danilo Luís Helio Pereira was born in Guinea-Bissau, while Renato Sanches's mother is from Cape Verde and his father from Sao Tome and Principe.

There's French solid African defence and Belgian lethal African attack. And there's everyone in between. There are so many rags-to-riches stories about depraved families looking for a better life in Europe only to see their sons become the pride of the biggest European footballing nations. Between 11 June and 11 July, football fever will take over the continent. And, by continent, we don't mean just Europe.

In case you'd missed some of our earlier stories in the EURO countdown, here they are. Make sure you read them all and prepare fully for the tournament!

9 - Host countries and favourites

8 - Who could surprise us?

7 - Pick your fantasy team!

6 - Great players who'll miss all the action

5 - Belgium and France, it's now or never!

4 - Pig farmers, criminals and European Brazilians

3 - Dugout glory hunters

2 - The biggest rivalries of the tournament

1 - The youngest and the oldest