France, Senegal or Morocco: a difficult choice for Sofiane Diop
The 22-year-old midfielder Sofiane Diop has spoken about the difficulty of choosing between France, Morocco and Senegal.
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France, Senegal or Morocco? Born in France, Sofiane Diop, 22, also has Senegalese and Moroccan roots. The young midfielder can therefore choose between Les Bleus, the reigning African champions and the Atlas Lions. It is no easy decision for a player who has represented France at every youth level but has never been called up to the senior side. In an interview with Nice Matin, the Stade Rennais academy graduate promised to decide on his international future next summer.
“The national team? I’ll make my decision next summer,” he said first. Sofiane Diop then explained how difficult it was to choose between the three countries: “My father is Senegalese, my mother is Moroccan, and I was born in France. That is hardly an easy situation in which to make a choice when you are talking about the reigning world champions, the semi-finalists at this World Cup and the African champions.”
He continued: “We could end up choosing different national teams, my brothers and I (smiles). It would be a lie to say there have been no discussions between the federations and my parents, but I don’t want that to weigh on my mind. I want to put it aside and focus on my club. My aim is to play in the European Under-twenty-one Championship with France at the end of the season, and I’ll make my decision afterwards. I haven’t made it yet.”