Eclectic cast rubbing shoulders with superstars at Cup of Nations
Stars like Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen are the headline acts at the Africa Cup of Nations but they rub shoulders at the tournament with journeymen who, for a fleeting week or two, get to enjoy an extraordinary opportunity. The African championship boasts an increasingly eclectic cast of characters, particularly in recent decades with the expansion of the tournament to 24 teams, with many countries searching for talent beyond their shores. It means a musician playing football in his spare time was among the more than 600 footballers at the tournament in the Ivory Coast, along with a…