Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was born in France and has a Spanish mother. But he opted to play for Gabon.
The decision, Auba says, was a simple one - he wanted to emulate his father, the man who captained Gabon with distinction in the 1990s and has played such an influential role in his son’s career.
Auba did once pull on the France shirt for a youth international, but his heart was with Gabon. Nine years on from that decision, Auba is the joint top scorer in his country’s history.
“I was very young when I decided,” he explained. “Players often take their time to consider their options and make the right choice, but for me the choice was clear.
“I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps. He was captain of the national side in the past.
“I could well have chosen to play for Spain or France. I played for the French under-21 team, but I realised very quickly that in my heart I wanted to emulate my father.”
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