Jordan Zemura

Countries suffering Covid outbreaks will have to play their Africa Cup of Nations matches even if they have only 11 players available.

New guidelines from the Confederation of African Football (Caf) state matches will still go ahead even if none of the 11 players is a goalkeeper.

Any nation unable to fulfil a fixture will forfeit the game 2-0.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/59924747
 
SlowDownDerek said:
It's a tough one as there are many people who have strong connections to more than one Nation. I'm sure Jordan, Grealish, Rice, Zaha, Sterling, etc. etc. would feel immense pride representing either nation that they are connected to but you can only pick one.
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But surely you only actually identify as being a national of one nation?
 
Zimbabwe playing now and no sign of JZ yet so can't of made it there yet. He may only get the chance for 2 games depending on when he's available.
 
SlowDownDerek said:
Not really, if your background/ethnicity is from one place and you grew up in another then you'll likely identify as both and be very proud of both aspects of your identity.
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Good point.

My dad was Welsh and my mum English, so I could have chosen either when I was picked to play international football as a youth and then could have changed sides when playing adult football.

I chose neither, because I was never picked!
 
Waz afcb said:
But surely you only actually identify as being a national of one nation?
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Two points.

On a legal basis, there are countless millions of people around the world who hold passports of more than one country. The UK alone has between 750,000 and one million double passport holders. Then there is the British diaspora. How many Brits abroad hold citizenship of the countries that they live in? Dual nationality is rather more common than you might imagine. I believe that in Europe only Austria and the Netherlands do not allow it.

Some countries allow citizenship based on one parent, even if you have never set foot in the country. The USA allows citizenship if you happen to be born on US territory, regardless of your parents nationality (remember how Trump spun the lie that Barrack Obama was not born in the US?).

More importantly, which nation(s) might a person feel emotionally attached to?
This is where the real "identity" comes from. According to the US Census Bureau, "Irish heritage is strong in America: More than 31.5 million residents claim Irish ancestry, second only to German (43.0 million)." There are hyphenated Americans of all kinds.

How many people in the UK identify as British first rather than from a constituent nation? I bet there are many, despite what it says on their passports, who regard themselves as English despite the fact that in law, there is no such citizenship. It's how you feel.

So, surely, you can actually identify as being a national of more than one nation.

Locally, think about people living in Bournemouth who still feel affinity to Hampshire and then the Cherries around the world who like their adopted homes, but still support AFCB. There are a heck of lot of exiles living in the Greater Manchester area who you meet at northern away matches. Should they stop calling where they live home or should they switch their allegiance to United, City, Stockport or Salford?

If you feel it, you are. Identifying with more than one nation is eminently possible.
 
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A shame for us short term, but great for JZ. Let's hope he does well, stays healthy, and comes back full of confidence and fitness.
 
Was looking at the Zimbabwean team for last night and not only was he not in the starting lineup he wasn't even a sub, was that correct?
 
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