Brazilian football star, Neymar has condemned African footballers for not playing wholeheartedly for their countries as they do at their respective clubs.
British businessman Frank Khalid, the owner of West London Film Studios and Elbrook Cash and Carry, quoted a statement credited to Neymar via Twitter which questioned the loyalty of African players.
According to the 31-year-old winger who currently plays for Paris Saint Germain, Africans have a lot of potential in football to dominate the game globally.
The skilled PSG winger whose country, Brazil, has won five World Cups, attributes the success of South American and European countries in world football to the loyalty of the players from those continents.
“African players have talent, but they only show it to their respective clubs, not to their respective countries,” Khalid quoted Neymar on Twitter.
“This is why Brazil has five 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 the best clubs in Europe.”
Neymar’s statement couldn’t be further from the truth, especially considering the controversy surrounding some well-known Nigerian athletes who have faced criticism for prioritizing their club interests over representing their country.
The former Barcelona forward who has 77 goals in 124 games for Brazil has only won two medals since he made his debut for the national team 13 years ago: the Confederations Cup (2013) and the Copa América (2021) runner-up position.
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