When over six hundred top African professionals gather in Côte d’Ivoire starting from Saturday, January 13, 2024, there will be a few among them who will be seeking to continue a tradition of not just representing their country but also their family.
Over the years, football has gone across blood lines and players have genetically inherited the talents of their ancestors in the beautiful game. Top African footballing legends have passed the batons to their heir apparent or distant relatives to continue lifting the family name high.
We take a look at seven players whose family members have played in the Africa Cup of Nations in the past and will hope to reach the heights those great men achieved.
1. Andre and Jordan Ayew – These are perhaps the most notable names when talking about players following family tradition as these are the children of Ghanaian and African footballing Legend Abedi Ayew Pele.
Their father was one of the last set of Black Stars to have won the AFCON in 1982 and he was the best player at the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal as the Black Stars lost the final on penalties. Andre could set a record should he score in the tournament – as the first player to have scored in seven AFCON tournaments.
Jordan, the younger sibling is perhaps not as illustrious as his brother Andre but his profile has been helped by his many years already spent in England’s Premier League. Both players will be hoping to help Ghana to at least a better tournament than the last edition in Cameroon.
3. Alex Iwobi – Iwobi who is believed to be Nigeria’s most creative midfielder is the nephew of former Nigerian football wizard Austin Jay-Jay Okocha. Okocha was known to be mercurial in his days and was the AFCON’s best player in 2004, ten years after he won the tournament with Nigeria.
Iwobi though, apart from scoring the crucial goal that qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia has not done enough to stand up to the heights of his Uncle. In a Nigerian team ravaged by injuries, Iwobi has another chance to stake a claim to the excellence in family tradition in Côte d’Ivoire.
4. Bertrand Traore – Although this is not his first AFCON appearance too, former Chelsea boy Traore will hope to lead the Ėtalons of Burkina Faso to an enviable height as dark horses in the 2023 tournament.
Bertrand made his AFCON debut in 2012 but it was in the 2013 edition which he missed that his elder brother Alain Traoré made a mark in, scoring three goals as the Burkinabes reached the final before losing to Nigeria.
The Aston Villa man is the captain of the 2024 Class of Etâlons and will be hoping to catch up with his brother’s achievement.
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5. Sofyan Amrabat – Manchester United midfielder Amrabat will be featuring in his second AFCON tournament after his maiden participation two years ago with the Atlas Lions ended in the quarterfinals.
Between then and now, Morocco have grown in leaps and bounds with Amrabat a major piece of their puzzle having played every minute of their historic World Cup participation in Qatar just over a year ago.
Amrabat’s brother Nordin also played for Morocco and featured in three AFCON tournaments – 2012, 2013 and 2019. Considering that Morocco never moved beyond the second round in each of those tournaments, Sofyan will be hoping to do better for the family.
6. Enzo Tchato – One of the myriads of France born players in the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon side. Enzo, a right back with Montpellier is the son of Bill Tchato, a proud member of the Indomitable Cameroonian side of the early 2000s.
Enzo is just 21 and will be making his AFCON debut under Rigoberto Song, the man that played with his father Bill for many years. He will hoping it is the start of a lengthy career with the senior national team.
7. Fabrice Ondoa – There exists a strong possibil that Fabrice Ondoa starts in goal for Cameroon in their opening group game against Guinea in Yamoussoukro. He was the Indomitable Lions’ first choice at the 2015 and 2017 AFCON tournaments, helping his country to the title at the latter.
He has since lost his first choice status to his cousin Andre Onana who was in goal at the 2019 and 2021 tournaments. But wiith Onana still in England with Manchester United, Ondoa is expected to keep the family’s place in goal for the Central Africans against the Syli Nationale.
Fisayo Dairo, in Abidjan
