₦airaland Forum

komekn:
"Warri no deh carry last "

May seem somewhat light hearted humour. But this is serious, once you have all the physical attributes the next thing is mental resilience.

A kind of dogged stubbornness fused with self belief in the face of hostile odds and unfair competition and sometimes inhospitable supposed team mates.

This is the European environment that our boys out of Naija sometimes for the first time in thier lives. Have to fight and obtain a professional football contract.

No wonder they struggle and fail sometimes

See as body dey sweet you as they mention your brother.

tbaba1234:
The argument is not about talent, it is the fact that they play in an environment that does not support growth. Also, players need to be tested at a higher level to know if they are worth it.
For every Etebo, there are several more who did not live up to the hype.

You speak as if Etebor has arrived but he hasn't. Its not like he's been exactly pulling up trees in Portugal this season. Someone gave him an opportunity and he shined. Who knows who else might shine when given the opportunity, that has been my sermon all this while.

If like you said, some disappointed and didn't exactly grow like they should perhaps we should ask ourselves if they were managed properly. Was Sunday Mbah managed well? After the Afcon his career was almost killed with the roforofo between Rangers and Warri Wolves. Most clubs who came for him was put off by all that shenanigan. National team call up stopped coming because he was clubless , in less than a year he was signed by a French 3rd division team. Things happen quick win football.
Mba became a victim of the system we operate due to no fault of his. The system have swallowed a lot of talented players that only the fee who have survived have been by sheer luck and providence.

tbaba1234:
I am an advocate for the Nigerian League. I watched most of the highlights of games last season even though I am not in 9ja. But, I am also a realist and want the best for the Super Eagles. I am yet to be convinced by the quality of the league.

How do you explain a league supposed lacking quality throwing up a dude Like Etebor?

tbaba1234:
It is the same point, i have been making over and over again but you would rather think, i have something against Chisom because i mentioned his name a few times.

There is no campaign of calumny against any one or even against the league.

You would not have to think that if you were reading carefully.

I tagged it campaign of calumny because of the so many wrong allusions, innuendos and some colourful statements you've used in the last few pages to tag NPFL players and products. It appears to me you throw rationality through the window at the mention of NPFL.

Mickael2:
so does that mean that he wasn't poor for 60-70 mins of the 90 minutes? Which one is a lie?

If he was that poor in the game I suggest you petition CAf to strike his name of the man of the match in the game.
Infact his performance in that game propelled him to be named the "undisputed" player of the tournament. Its very rare to pick a player as the player of the tournament if he's on the loosing team. But Ejike was named player of the tournament from a team who came 3rd.

Please put up the petition. I can't wait to append my signature on it.

tbaba1234:
This is where you misunderstand me.. I gain no pleasure from saying the league players are playing at a low level. I want our league to be the most competitive in Africa but it isn't. We have a long way to go.

Again, it does not mean that there are no talents but i have been disappointed enough times to know that not all that shine in the Nigerian league can play at a higher level. In fact, most don't carry that form to the next level.

Surely that can't be because of lack of talent. We can analyse and dissect this very topic. We can even open a thread for this. Am open to this particular discussion. Much better than the campaign of calumny you were on earlier.

joseph1013:

You know what's up

tbaba1234:
Obviously a typo, either way, Obaje and Chisom were not in the match squad..

You must have typed this with a very big grin on your face.

tbaba1234:
Your link shows 23 players... Those are all the players invited. Not all will be on the match squad.

Only 18 will be in the match squad

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/sports/2018-w-cup-qualifier-look-at-nigeria-s-squad-against-zambia/165887.html

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLV6KyjjLIy/

On the instagram link. Ideye was listed twice. On the subs bench and the starting 11.

tbaba1234:
The 18 against Zambia were as follows:

Carl Ikeme, John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Elderson Echiejile, William Troost-Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo,Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon, Ogenyi Onazi, Brown Ideye, Kelechi Iheanacho.

Substitutes include: Muhammed, Musa, Abdullahi,Esiti, Igiebor, Alimi and Ezenwa.

Only Alimi made the team amongst the outfield home-boys.

Can you provide a valid link for this?
From what I can see here http://www.flashscore.com/match/SAx6UGBE/#lineups;1 Egbuchulam was on Jersey no 13.

tbaba1234:
If Esiti did not impress.. Simon Moses might have impressed.. Rohr has seen some highly rated home based players up-close but Jamiu Alimi looked like the only one who impressed him after the first camp (among the outfield players) and even him was not invited for the friendlies.

I wish, we had an under 20 team going to the world cup. It would have been the perfect opportunity to test Udeh to know if he is the real deal.

I've seen Kano pillars play this seaon a couple of times. I didn't see Jamiu Alimi. In his place, Chinedu Udoji held sway. Could be he's injured or he's out of the country.

Let's not resort to allusions to pursue vague speculations otherwise, it could just stick by hook or by crook.
It was never reported obaje AND Chisom weren't up for it in training when Rohr invited them. Am very sure Chisom made the final 18 man match day squad against Zambia. Rohrs excuse which was a valid one for not inviting them for the Algerian game was that the league was on break.
Please, let's not over speculate.

Icon4s:
Do you know if he was pleased with their performance in training?

Don't you think those two did not measure up in camp and so the coaching lost confidence in the other home based players?

That's too extreme. Its just like saying if Anderson Etisi doesn't measure up in Camp. Rohr will loose confidence inviting players from Belgium.

Icon4s:
So if he had flopped at Venlo would he have still made the team?

Those players you mentioned were doing well in their respective clubs in the NPFL. I remember Uche Nwofor at Rangers then.


And as for Egbedi, he was a former U17 player. If you followed that tourney in 2009 well you'll recall he was one of the stand out performance. So the coach kept faith with him and promoted him along with some other players to the U20 even though he was unattached.

My point about Musa is that him playing at the WYC really gave the Super Eagles handlers a good opportunity to fully integrate him into the Super Eagles.

So there is nothing wrong in Odey playing for any of our youth teams.

My point is that Musa would have made that John Obuh team even if he was still playing for Kano pillars.

Yes there's nothing wrong with Odeh playing for any of the under age teams if he's qualified. But which of our age grade teams is in play at the moment?

Musa was invited by Las Lagerback in the lead up to the world cup for camping, why not Stephen Odeh invited for an ordinary friendly?

The same Rohr who invited two homebased players in the world cup qualifiers against Zambia in Chisom and Obaje who were the inform hit men in the NPFL. A few months down the line the same manager didn't didnt bother inviting Stephen for a small matter of friendly games against African teams.
Seriously, Odeh has a strong case here if we are being fair.

Icon4s:
Musa did not play at the AYC in January of 2011. He featured at the WYC in June /July of 2011 after having a god season first season at Venlo.

How about other players like Dike, Uche Nwofor, Gabriel Suswan and about 90% of the team who made the team to the U20 as homebased players? Some others like Edafe Egbedi was not even attached.
Please, get your facts. Musa didn't make that team because he proved himself at Venlo.

bazooka1:
I think people should stop using that Manu U17 team beating NPFL sides as a justification to rubbish npfl. For goodness sake that was a pre season friendly. Even top European sides get smashed in pre seaon friendlies. In the Manu U17 abi U20 case, Manu have had his team in concentration camp for months while the NPFL sides were just getting started and using the friendlies to try out new players they wish to sign for the new season.

You should ask yourself why haven't those academies won the Nigerian FA cup which is an open tournament for every football club and academy registered in the country? When was the last time an amateur side or academy played up to the semi finals of the FA cup? I think the last it happened was in the 90s with a team called Arugo.
How many NPFL titles have Manu won?
Please give me break.

Some pages back I read some people saying scoring in the league is very easy with bad defenders. I asked myself, is it the same Nigerian league I know?

The same league it took almost forever for someone to break Ishaya Jatus record of 20 goals. As a matter of fact, the 20 goal mark have been crossed not more than 2wice if I recall correctly. But just to make an arguement we are being made to believe scoring in the NPFL is very easy.

Do you know why only Musa have managed to break even out of the lot you listed? I will tell you.
Back in 2012 when Musa broke out of the scene. Musa was the busiest Nigerian footballer. He played in almost all the national teams bar U17. He played for the U20s, U23's and super eagles simultaneously. These various exposures with the national teams exposed him to the transfer market before Venlo signed him up. This same expose you vehemently refuse to see the reasons why the Mfm striker shouldn't be invited for a friendly in London.

How come the Dutch league and Belgian leagues are renowned for producing talents but these same talents don't do well in champions league and Europa leagueEuropa league for their home nation teams?

I read that too @bolded and smiled. It reminded me about the presumptuous statements the clueless Alan Smyth used to make at then Espn soccer net press pass

bazooka1:
In the past 4 Afcons we have just managed to be in 1.
Does that mean our players are among the worst in Africa?

Since the Ajax team of 1996, Netherlands have yet to make a mark in European club football. Does that mean good players don't come out the Dutch league?

Since Monaco made it to the finals of Champions league in 2004, no French team have made it to the later stages or even past quarter finals in the champions league. Does that mean good players don't come out of ligue 1?

Since the time of Kalusha Bwaya and Stephen Keshi NO Belgian team have made it to the quarter finals of the champions league. Does that mean good players aren't coming out of the Belgian league?

If not for Juventus, Italian football have been shambles lately. Uefa have even reduced their slot for the champions league to 3 teams. Does that mean good players can't be found in Seria A?

Sir, because Nigerian club side aren't doing too well in Caf champions league. That does not mean good players can't be found in the Nigerian league.

Wow what a post. Top marks to you.

Mickael2:
so you will ignore the fact that he was bad for more than 70% of the game? Do you think that such comebacks happen everyday? Let's look at it critically, he was poor for like 60-70 mins out of 90, that means he was poor

Ejike scored at the dot of the 90th minute to push it to extra time. The whole team had a shocking first half where Morocco lead 3-0. They came back in the second half and replied all 3 goals and pushed the game to extra time. You don't have to resort to lies to make your point. I will always expose them.
Lying to ourselves won't help anybody.

Mickael2:
You have to first of all understand what I typed before you start replying next time. So Rohr didn't invite any left-footed player, that means he doesn't need one. Bazee is left-footed, he plays as an inverted attacking midfielder, I see him replacing Iwobi during the match but that's by the way, the point is that the formation determines who gets invited. Ok so now we have Bazee and Iwobi playing as the two LMFs for that match, will he bench either of them? Absolutely not. So is he now going to replace Musa who is a right-footed player and the assistant captain of the team? Or will he replace Moses Simon who plays on the right exclusively? You are now telling me that he can play with any part of his body comfortable, I am left wondering why he is in the NPFL? The kind of exaggeration in that your statement is almost criminal. Or will he now replace the strikers too? We don't play with any supporting striker except if you mean that he can also play as the AMF? So he can play RMF, LMF, SS, AMF and CS?! Wow!!!

Yes! It was against Rivers united when he scored from virtually the corner of the box, the defenders were shocking, to make matters worse the goalkeeper was standing very close to that far post yet when the ball came he let it pass straight through! My friend pointed out after the game that the match was fixed, he actually scored two goals like that on the day in question. Have you ever seen me celebrating Iheanacho's tapins? You must be mistaking me for someone else. Even then his movements off the ball against top defenders is what makes his tapins better than the goals Chisom scores. Have you ever seen me clamoring for Onyekuru's inclusion? Or are you also saying that Adi(who I actually made reference to)only scores because of comical defending in the MLS? I can't remember giving in to your ridiculous claim that Ndidi is always caught out of position, if I remember well enough you disappeared in the middle of the argument,by the way have you been watching their matches recently? Sevilla? West ham? Go and check his position again.

Which of the afcon qualifiers was Uzoenyi named man of the match? Let me guess, Chad or a country worse than that, so what happened when the real teams came to town? If I remember correctly against Morocco he was poor, forget the fact that we came back from 3 goals down he was poor, and in the semifinal he was even worse, like I said when they face top quality opposition they tend to buckle, against Bosnia for example, he played for up to 20 minutes, did absolutely nothing.

Yes, you're so correct. Uzoenyi who scored twice against Morocco, one of the goals came from his weaker foot outside the penalty box had a shockingly bad game. When you put off your rose tinted shade I will come back and have a discussion with you.

Mickael2:
it's not just about inviting every eligible player, no matter how good they are.

Ok look at that list again, you pointed out that Ovoke is left footed, I would assume that he plays as a LMF no? Who will he replace, like for like, in that list? Who are the left footed midfielders we invited? Or do you want the coach to invite all the left-footed players we have just because they are all good? Except if we are playing an inverted winger on the right it won't work, not to mention that we don't even play with wingers anymore, just outright midfielders so you see that the formation has ruled out his own involvement.

I have watched Odeh, he scores goals I agree(against NPFL defenders and goalkeepers, GREAT, but still...), what else does he bring to the table? Don't just base your arguments on highlights but watch the real games, 90 complete minutes and you will see. There is ABSOLUTELY no way you can tell me that he is better than....Adi and Adi isn't even on the team list! So Adi will come first before him, do you see his position?

Ejike Uzoenyi's case should have taught you something about creativity in Nigerian leagues. Poor defenders who are almost always out of position, it obviously makes it easier to thread a good pass every now and then but when he comes up against...Kouyate or even Kone of Burkina Faso who aren't going to move out of position, he falls FLAT! It happened against Ghana at the Chan 2014 too, we all saw it. Forget this your claim about NPFL players being talented, they just aren't playing against the best, you consider that before you invite them. I remember watching the super four, Rangers against one team like that, if you see the ridiculous goals Chisom was scoring, you'd be left wondering where are the defenders?! What is the goalkeeper doing?! For you, you might be enjoying the show thinking he is great, but next time you see a fantastic goal in the NPFL check other variables concerned. I don't like talking about the NPFL like this but they do not deserve a spot, especially not now that we have a lot of young talents that we want to snatch from other countries who will definetly occupy the vacant positions in our team list

You even admitted from your second paragraph Rohr didn't invite any left footed attacker. That's an indictment on its own to the sermon you're preaching.
Am telling you Ovoke is a very cultured leftie and in Rohr's list no left footer was invited and you're talking about who he will replace? These random statements you guys throw around is quite shocking sometimes.
From the much I've seen of Ovoke, he's an all round attacking weapon. I've seen him play behind the striker and on both wings.

You talked about Chisom Egbuchulam scoring easy goals owing to poor defending. That's a big lie on its own. You can only use this to confuse people who didn't watch the super 4. He scored one of the goals against Rivers Utd outside the penalty area! You find fault in such a goal but celebrate easy tap ins Kelechi scores fo Man city. If this isn't hypocritical, I don't know what it is.
Onyekuru have scored goals from comical defending in Belgium this seaon. Pull out videos of Onyekuru's goals let's discet it. Am laying down a marker here.
You will be met with a rude shock like you did when I told you about Ndidi's poor positioning.

You talk about Uzoenyi. You may have forgotten he was named man of the match twice in the qualifiers of the Nations cup in South Africa? If he was such a bad player I don't think he would have shone like he did in the nations cup qualifiers and at the Chan proper.

Icon4s:
I was enjoying your story until the last paragraph.

Pls can you justify the call for the inclusion of home based players into this team?

Stephen Odeh has been scoring all kinds of goals this season against almost every team he has played against.
Scoring with his Left foot, right foot, head tells me he has little weakness to his game. Bernard Ovoke at Rivers Utd can also make the squad. He proved his quality last season and so far this season he has been quality. He's left footed with low centre gravity who can get past people and create dangerous moments in the final 3rd. He was the 2nd best player last season behind Chisom Egbuchulam if I were to rate.
Take a look at Rohr's team to these friendlies, I noticed Iwobi was the only creative midfielder called up. In my opinion, I think Obinna Nwobodo can stake a claim in this team going by what he brings to the table.

These three names I mentioned are qualified to make this team if given the ground was level. I don't need the verdict of a scout from Gent to know these guys are good players.

tbaba1234:
Porto B players train with Porto, Jong Ajax players trained with Ajax first team.. This structure is in Germany too. The exceptional ones make it to the first team but most of them don't.

Chisom Egbuchulam was taken on loan.. He was not signed by the swedish club. Signing him is subject to his performance over the loan period. For the best player in the Nigerian league last season, that is poor.

I have no doubt that there are gems in the Nigerian league but they have to show it. Good thing, they have the CHAN to show how good they are.

Beautiful that you mentioned this yourself. All these clubs you listed have their players registered and train with the first team while playing in a league against professional teams in the lower leagues.
In England, their 2nd team play in the U23 league or reserve league. The scenario would have been totally different if for instance, Liverpool B were playing in the championship against solid teams like Sheffield or Newcastle Utd like you have in other countries.

I don't understand your point in reference to the Chisom Egbuchulam deal. Are you saying Chisom is not a good player because he could only secure a deal in Sweden? Did he go on trial and fail at Real Madrid? I really want to know why you referenced Chisom whenever you want to spite the Npfl players.
Not so long ago, you called a 25yr old Chisom Egbuchulam an "old player" not until people started correcting you that you stopped.

Your disdain towards the Npfl is the reason why this country and is in a mess economically. We always wait for the white man to come take our raw materials, process and refine only to resale the finished product back to us. The Aba and Nnewi boys who are trying to produce locally aren't being encouraged. No support system is in place to protect these guys like a simple loan or a freaking Aba fashion week to showcase their products to the world.
We would rather wait for our oyinbo masters to ship footwares, suits and corn flakes down to us while we do absolutely nothing. We have brought this same attitude to football. We need to validation of an oyinbo scout to believe a player is good.

Aren't we ashamed Europeans leave their countries, come down here and scout for players like in the case of Ndidi, Gent purchased him from Nath boys for 2 bottles of whisky and resold same player 2 years down the line to Leicester for £15M. Who is fooling who?

Since you love the Chan so much, why aren't you advocating that Rohr should have included some homebased players in the friendlies against African oppositions like Senegal and burkina to prepare them for Chan? Don't hide behind Chan to make a case against the homebased players. Am too smart for that. I can read your stream of thought very well.

Apostle must hear for this!

tbaba1234:
Barca B is still playing at a lower level same as Real Madrid Castilla. The structure in Spain is the same as in Holland and Portugal. Porto has Porto B, Ajax has Jong Ajax. Many of their players never make it to the top flight. Our own Derik Osede is now in league 1 after playing for Real madrid Castilla.

If i see a clearly outstanding talent in the league, I will come here to advocate for the player. I was in Nigeria a couple of years ago and watched many league games. I can not say, i was blown away by the quality. Chisom Egbuchulam, who was Nigeria's best player last year could only secure a loan deal in Sweden. That is not to say there are not players that could possibly make the super eagles squad but they are few. After all, Kante was picked from lower divisions.There are always diamonds in the rough, let them play CHAN and show themselves.

I started actively following the Nigerian league in the early 1990s and followed several teams through those years. I am not an enemy of the league but at this time, we have better players outside.

These teams you mentioned have their second teams playing playing professional football at the lower level. While in England it's totally different. Second teams of clubs in the Premiership play in the U23 development league.
The so called Barca B players are allowed to train with their first team and they are registered by the Spanish FA in a list of 35+ who can feature for the first team.

Your second point is invalid with due respect. That Chisom Egbuchulam signed for a Swedish team does not mean he's not better talented than some who play in more fancied league. Do you know the player of the tournament at the last Afcon, Bassogog was playing in Denmark this January?
Yet game after game he proved to be unplayable while facing opponents who play in more fancied league. This should give you a food for thought.
Football is not played on paper. You judge players based on their skill set and ability.
Hugo Bross would not have won a game at the Afcon if he had your kind of mindset.

We can't continue to wait for Europeans to buy our players before we are convinced they are good. This shows how lazy the black man is.

tbaba1234:
Barcelona B plays in the Third tier of spanish football... That is probably worse than league 1 in England.. Biko, apart from the name Barca, Ezekiel Bassey is not playing at a high level at the moment. Was Ekpolo not in Barca B? Is he not now in league 2?

There is talent in the league but they do not last or slowly depreciate because of the standard that they are playing.

If our league players can not do well in CHAN and in the African Champions league, we have to doubt the quality to compete at the international level where there are much better players.

As regards good goals, watch the indian, malaysian and indonesian league, you will see great goals. It does not mean the players can cut it at a higher level.

So we should continue to wait for Europeans to come down and scout for talents in our league while we sit fingers crossed, pray and wait till they blow before we invite them to the national team. Dont you see the folly in this line of thought?


The league in Spain is so structured that teams tin the top tier are allowed to have their 2nd team participate in the lowest division. Instead of having an U23 league like they do in England. I can recall Arsene Wenger a few years ago suggested to the FA to adopt this to the benefit of young players who often are sent on loan to clubs in the lower leagues where they meet a culture shock and a total different style of football to their parent clubs.
Having this system in place will eliminate this problem of adaptation of players which could turn their development anti clockwise. Lots of talented players have been lost to this English loan system as they have it.

Barcelona B were playing in the 2nd division Spain before they were demoted. Their players are entitled to make match day squad of the main Barca team. Where do you think Sergio Robeto and the likes came from?

When was the last time a French team did well in the Champions league and Europa league? Don't players from that league move for multi million pounds every transfer window. Football is much more than just results.

Even if our home based payers win Chan, you will still grudge if Rohr invites a couple. It's already an established mindset. Dont hide under chan to throw shots.

tbaba1234:
1. Eupen are not the weeping boys of the Belgian league. They comfortably survived relegation through the exploits of Onyekuru. Onyekuru's influence was critical and that is why he is getting rave reviews.

2. We have to be honest about the quality of our league, if this was under 20 or under 17, no problem, the exposure will help young players move ahead with their careers. Players who play at that standard outside Nigeria will not be given a call-up. We do not even call North African talents.

3. Nigeria has more talents outside the country than Burkina faso, so competition is stiffer for places.

4. We should not apply sentiments in selection because they are home-based.

Eupen may have survived the drop but it doesn't mean they were are a great team. The Eupen team I watched a couple of times this season were as rubbish a team as they come.

The quality of our league have been improving. If the LMC can find their bearing on logistics it will be much better.

Was it not Barcelona who got a player straight out of our league. Can you imagine? We rely on Europeans to do our scouting for us. What does that tell you?

I watched Enyimba vs Mfm last week on TV. A certain. Enyimba player scored a peach of a goal. A much better goal than the celebrated strike by Olatumbosun. The way he turned and took the shot on a volley with a bicycle kick would have had this thread go nuts if Henry onyekuru scored that in Belgium.

Do you really think we don't have more Etebors in this league? You've got to be kidding me.

Icon4s:
Exactly my thoughts.

When are Rangers playing?

Results like this do not necessarily represent a good measure of talents abound in a league.
I will take France as a case study. I can't remember the last time a French club won the champions league or even the Europa league. Nevertheless products from that league dominate European football. Even a forgotten man like Payet came to England and swept everyone away.

Again, I will use the example of Eupen in Belgium. A team which can be described as the weeping boys of Belgium. Throughout the seaon they have been loosing left, right, Centre but a lot of people still clamour for the inclusion of a player in such a team Henry Onyekuru.

As a person, I don't think it makes sense to argue that about 700+ players registered by the LMC this season,we can't find 2 or 3 who can make super eagles team in a friendly against Senegal and Burkina Faso.

I remember back in 2002, a team of home based players were assembly by Eguavoun to play a much better Senegalese team than the ones we face next week,coming after the high at the Korea world cup. The bunch of home bases players out played the Senegalese in Dakar. If I recall, it was Temple Moneke or Lucky Idaho who scored from about 45 yards.
Remember, this Senegalese side was packed with the likes of fadiga, Diouf. Diao and Aliou Cisse. Fifteen years later, not even one single home based player will make the team to play Senegal in a friendly game. That can't be right.

Even the Burkina Faso team we will play against are rolling in with some of their home based players from reports. Are there better talented players in Burkina faso than in Nigeria?
Let's call a spade a spade. Rohr didn't do well to ignore the Npfl players like he did.

Kakamorufu:
mbappé mum is Algerian

Sorry I had him mixed up with his half brother.

Apostle must start thinking about hiring the OJ Simpson lawyer to riggle his way out of this.

Mickael2:
Noted

You were one of those who almost fought me for predicting Cameroun will win the nations cup right? Bookmark this one as well.

TheGoodJoe:
Injury. That is the point we are making. Ronaldo's injury troubles started at Inter Milan.

Even when he played, he didn't get close to the numbers he averaged in Holland and Spain. Seria A was the best league back then.

TheGoodJoe:
Blasphemy is saying this Mbappe is as good as Ronaldo at 18. Who said I have a problem against Monaco winning Ligue 1 or the Champions League? I will even feel happy seeing some young black succeed.

Simple, the boy is not as good as a young Ronaldo but I wish him success.

That's your opinion, allow me to stick to mine.

safarigirl:
because their profiles are more European than African.

If you Google any of those guys, first info you will see is "French footballer"....not Algerian, Cameroonian or whatever. They are French first, any other affiliations will come from further investigation

That is how i Googled Fosu-Mensah, expecting to see Ghana, only for me to find "Dutch footballer"...and tomorrow, you people will tag him African because of name.

I repeat, it takes more than a name to be African.

I think you're taking football too serious. Truth is that football is just a job. No different from being a medical doctor, an actor, a janitor or a fire man.
I have an uncle who works as a police man in the UK. His building in the village is about 90% completed. His kids speak our local dialet more than myself. Am sure if you Google his name, he will be introduced as a British police officer. How do you reconcile that?

Pogba's elder brother plays for Guinea while Paul plays for France, Mbappe's elder brother plays for Congo. Football is just a job. Who you is who you are.