The 2023 African Cup of Nations – yes, that’s correct it is 2024 – is well underway in the Cote d’Ivoire. There was a deep irony on Tuesday afternoon when the mostly injured Bertrand Traore threw off the shackles of Birmingham based fitness battles to score the winner for his beloved Burkina Faso in a 1-0 win versus Mauritania (who, not for nothing had a player called AK 47).
Traore’s time in B6 is surely approaching an endgame, but his commitment to the national cause has never been in doubt, with some perhaps cruelly suggesting Bodymoor represents a site of recuperation between international breaks. Lest we forget of course we might not be enjoying Conference League adventures if it wasn’t for Bertie’s late winner against Leicester last season accompanied by his game breaking opener against Nottingham Forest. We can also enjoy fond memories of that ice cold goal against West Brom behind COVID prompted closed doors.
Traore is Villa’s only current African player, but there is a long (chequered?) history of Villa players who have called the continent of Africa home.
Brace yourselves.
The first African player to don the claret and blue was Gordon Hodgson, who was born in Transvaal Colony, now South Africa. Hodgson was a dual talent sportsman – he also played cricket for Lancashire – who made his name at Liverpool where, despite lean times for the club overall, he scored a phenomenal 241 goals in 377 games. He still stands third on Liverpool’s all-time goal scoring list – for context Ian Rush is on top and Mo Salah sits fifth. In that context it was probably a surprise he left for Villa, from where, relegation and 28 appearances later he left for Leeds.
Next up were Villa’s well documented Zambian pair – Emment Kapengwe and Freddie Mwila who were at the club for nine months across 1969 and 1970. The stuff or urban legend, then manager Tommy Docherty plucked them from obscurity with the Atlanta Chiefs where they had caught the eye against touring English teams. Four appearances between them probably says it all but they will be remembered as the first Zambians to play in England. There is an interesting link also in that they met defender Brian Tiler at Villa who somewhat incongruously became the Zambian team manager in 1978. A small world indeed.
The most represented African country in Villa history is Ghana. First up was Nii Lamptey a mercurial young talent who never really set on fire. He also lived a tragic and unbelievable life – more of that here: https://utvpodcast.co.uk/retro-villa-nii-lamptey-the-curse-of-pele/
Jordan Ayew’s reputation probably suffered for being with Villa at a rather damning time for the club. Signed for £10.8 million by Tim Sherwood 10 goals in 58 appearances was what it was, but there is no doubt Ayew was one of a squad who were so maligned generally that any appreciation was rather lost. He was able to rebuild his reputation at Swansea (with his brother) and then Crystal Palace where he continues to contribute. The son, of course, of Champions League winner (with Marseille) Abedi Pele.
More fondly remembered is Albert Adomah who was of course part of the promotion winning side in 2019. Over his Villa spell he consistently made contributions and scored some crucial goals – and indeed was top scorer in 2016-17. He continues to live in Villa fans’ collective affections by celebrating wildly against Blues for his current club QPR.
Four countries have provided two players for Villa – Senegal, Cameroon, DR Congo and Egypt.
Of the Senegalese contingent Idrissa Gueye suffered in the same way as Ayew by being associated with a terrible moment for the club, before dramatically rebuilding his reputation at Everton and, wildly, then PSG where he was widely regarded as a world class player. Habib Beye also played for PSG before – via Newcastle – rocking up at Villa in 2009. It was a strange signing at the time – and even more so in hindsight – and Beye never really managed to get a string of performances together. Players like Carlos Cuellar and Luke Young would be preferred by successive managers over the Senegal international.
It seems relatively fair to brush over Villa’s Cameroon representation– Jean Makoun and Eric Djemba Djemba. Part of Villa’s history for sure, but nothing to see here.
The next two are more interesting. The DR Congo have also provided two Villa players – Yannick Bolasie and Aaron Tshibola. I was very taken with Bolasie early in his Villa career with some explosive wide play and trickery promoting dreams at the time of promotion readiness. Ultimately it all unravelled rather unceremoniously which was a great shame. Tshibola arrived with great fanfare as a youngster from Reading but again failed to make the grade. Still only 29 he currently plies his trade in the UAE, hopefully fondly remembering his relatively crucial (at the time) solitary Villa goal against Newcastle in 2016.
The Egyptian pair of Trezeguet and Ahmed El Mohamady need no introduction. The ‘goal made in Egypt’ in the Carabao Cup Semi Final against Leicester at Villa Park was a halcyon moment as the pair played alongside one another in Villa’s first season back in the Premier League. Elmo was a great servant to Villa, making 113 league appearances. He continues to represent the club as an ambassador now. Trez was shorter lived but scored some crucial goals in the battle against relegation following the first COVID lockdown in 2020. Fond memories of both, and arguably the club’s most notable Africans.
Three strikers next, all from different African countries.
Rudy Gestede, born in France, but aligned to Benin from an international football perspective will always have a place in my own Villa history given he scored twice in my son’s first game at Villa Park (versus Rotherham in 2016). His name also gets trotted out whenever we play Bournemouth as he also scored the las time, we beat them at theirs. And that, dear reader, is that.
Jonathan Kodjia joined a long list of strikers who were supposed to be the ‘answer’ to a long-standing question of who could score 20 goals a season for Aston Villa Football Club. To be fair, the Ivorian was semi prolific in his first season with 19 goals but injury and then Tammy Abraham forced him either out of the side completely or out to the wing. Still, a popular relic of the Championship era and last seen in Ligue 2 in France.
The first (and only?) Tanzanian to play Premier League football Ally Samatta was deemed to be the solution to replacing Wesley following the Brazilian’s serious injury at the hands of Ben Mee. To be fair he had a similar poor record to Wes, so in many ways was an exact replacement. Nonetheless, until Villa get to another Cup final, we can forever look back at his wonderful goal against Manchester City at Wembley in 2020 to ease the pain.
And yet there are more!
The sight of Republic of Congo’s Christopher Samba being thrown on up front was the subject of much hilarity in the Steve Bruce era. Almost as enjoyable as Malian Yacouba Sylla’s chant – ‘He Loves the Villa’. And lest we forget Moustapha Salifou from Togo who despite a strong 2006 World Cup and being described as the Togolese Zidane by compatriot Emmanuel Adebayor made only a handful of appearances in claret and blue – most notably when Martin O’Neill changed the entire team against Slavia Prague in the UEFA cup.
Many Villa fans will of course have fond memories of Zimbabwean Marvellous Nakamba. Always a smiling presence around the ground – my own son saw the benefit of that several times – and subject to (for me) a decent chant about hating the Blues, Marv was what he was. He helped get Luton promoted and is back playing in the topflight. I would wish him nothing but the absolute best.
To finish, this random and reminiscent stroll down memory lane it seems apt to end on a really strange one. Curtis Davies played for Villa between 2007 and 2011 to often great applause. He represented England U21 and was involved in several full squads whilst at Villa. And yet, at the age of 38 he represented Sierra Leone in a friendly.
And there we have it. UTV.
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