Victor Osimhen was recently named the Serie A best striker, while Kelechi Iheanacho was named Leicester City’s player of the season
Paris Saint-Germain forward, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, mononymously known as Neymar Jr, has commented on the African players’ devotion to playing for their nation, Soccernet.ng reports.
The former Barcelona forward acknowledged the pool of talent Africa has, but reportedly revealed that they mostly show these to their respective clubs and not to their country.
The Nigerian Super Eagles have been chastised for doing better for their clubs than for their nation in tournaments and exhibitions.
Neymar, who has represented Brazil on the international stage and played with several brilliant African teammates during his career, emphasised the national team’s accomplishments, which include five World Cup victories.
He ascribed this achievement to the enthusiasm shown by South American and European players for their respective countries, but African players often fall short in this regard.
Neymar’s remarks, as reported by Frank Khalid OBE, raise serious concerns about the complex nature of international football and the difficulties that African players confront when it comes to national team responsibilities.
The Brazilian, comparing African players with Brazil, sends a message to Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen who was named the Serie A best striker, Leicester City’s player of the season and a host of others,.
“African Players have talent, but they only show it to their respective clubs, not for their respective countries. This is why Brazil has 5 World Cups, because African players don’t have a lot of passion to represent their countries like South American teams and the Europeans. It’s surprising because the best African players play in best clubs in Europe.” he said, as quoted by Frank Khalid OBE.
See comments here:
Neymar: “African Players have talent, but they only show it to their respective clubs, not for their respective countries. This is why Brazil has 5 World Cups, because African players don’t have a lot of passion to represent their countries like South American teams and the… pic.twitter.com/bhMgQcYol4
— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) June 3, 2023
However, Neymar’s statements emphasise the need for a refined knowledge of the different elements that influence player choices about national team involvement.
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