AFCON Final & the growing influence of the diaspora - The Sports Agents
The News Agents
Global
4.1 • 5.4K Ratings
🗓️ 16 January 2026
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Hosts Morocco face Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on Sunday. At this AFCON almost 40% of players were born outside Africa, like the face of the tournament Ashraf Hakimi.
So where should teams be putting their money - improving recruitment from the diaspora or investing more at home? What needs to change to attract these players? And can Sadio Mane and Senegal stop the powerhouse of Morocco from winning their first AFCON in 50 years?
Gabby and Mark are joined by former Premier League defender and Sierra Leone captain, Steven Caulker, and The Athletic's Jay Harris.
Plus, we look back at the best bits of The Sports Agents this week, from the civil war in golf after Brooks Koepka's departure, to the unbelievable story of Macclesfield's rise from the ashes to pull off the greatest FA Cup upset ever against holders Crystal Palace.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is a global player original podcast. |
| 0:05.8 | Host Morocco faced Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday. |
| 0:10.3 | Sadia Manet denied ex-Liverpool teammate Mo Salah on his fifth attempt at the Afcon title. |
| 0:15.6 | Was that Salas's last chance? Can Manet and Senegal stop the powerhouse of Morocco from winning their first Afcon in 50 years? |
| 0:22.9 | At this Afcon, almost 40% of players were born outside Africa, like the face of the tournament, Heikimi. |
| 0:29.5 | So where should teams be putting their money, improving recruitment from the diaspora or investing more at home? |
| 0:35.0 | And what needs to change to attract these players? |
| 0:38.0 | Welcome to the sports agents. |
| 0:43.5 | The Sports Agents. |
| 0:53.0 | So joining us for this one, Stephen Colker, former Premier League defender and Sierra Leone Captain, |
| 0:59.2 | and the athletics Jay Harris. |
| 1:01.4 | Jay, let me start with you. |
| 1:02.6 | Is this, in many ways, a perfect final here with the powerhouse of Morocco and the romanticism of Manet and Senegal? |
| 1:15.5 | Definitely. Firstly, it's always good when the hosts go really far in a competition. |
| 1:19.7 | I was at the last Afcon in the Ivory Coast and the scenes in Abidjan throughout the entire tournament were amazing. |
| 1:27.2 | And I think what some people maybe don't know |
| 1:29.7 | or casual observers don't know is that both of these countries, the Football Federation's have |
| 1:33.9 | significantly invested in those teams over the last five to ten years. Morocco, we've seen them |
| 1:38.5 | do extremely well at youth team level. It's the same with Senegal. Senegal have qualified for |
| 1:42.5 | three World Cups in a row. They won Afcon in 2021. |
| 1:46.0 | So I think there's a reason why both these teams have got there. |
| 1:48.7 | And yes, they're packed with incredible talent from Mane to Hakimi, etc. |
... |
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