Chelsea defender, Kalidou Koulibaly, has revealed why he chose Senegal over France.
According to him, it is because the Teranga Lions "waited for me".
Despite a childhood in France, Koulibaly never forgot his African origins and eventually opted to represent his parents' homeland.
He said:
"It was a big, big choice, because I could have played with the French national team, but at 23 or 24 years old I decided to play for Senegal, because they were waiting for me.
"I spoke with the coach, he gave me good motivation and good reasons to come, and I also spoke with my family. The most important people were my parents - they told me that I have to do what I want, but when I told them that I wanted to play for the Senegal national team, I saw the light in their eyes, and I knew it was a good choice.
"When I arrived and I saw the other players, it was like they were my family, because we were all used to eating the same things at home, to speaking the same language at home, so for me it was like I was home! I said to myself, 'Why didn't I come before? They are like my brothers'."
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