5 Top Stars Who Visited Kenya As Mbappe Brings Cameroon to a Standstill

• Kylian Mbappe became the latest star to visit Africa as the PSG forward tours Cameroon
• Kenya is richly blessed with tourist attractions with many stars trooping in once in a while
• Lewis Hamilton and Samuel Eto'o are among high-profile names who visited the country

Kylian Mbappe has been the mainstay of news headlines in recent days not only because of his standoff with Paris Saint-Germain, but also for his much-publicised tour of Cameroon.

It is still unknown where the forward will be playing his club football next season, with the Parisians reportedly demanding he signs a new contract or he will be sold this summer.

As Sports Brief reported, with the likes of Real Madrid continuing to monitor the situation, Mbappe has toured Cameroon - his father's homeland - with heavy security detail as he connects with his African roots.

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Kenya, despite not being a footballing giant by any means, has also attracted hotshots of the sporting world in the recent past.

Most recently, former Barcelona captain, Sergio Busquets was spotted mingling with locals in the expansive Mara region, Sports Brief also reported.

Here looks at the other sports personalities who have visited Africa's silicon savannah.

1. Ronaldinho

The Brazilian great visited Kenya in 2018 courtesy of the gaming firm, Betika. As Nation Sports reported, he attended a Super 8 match at the Camp Toyoyo grounds. He also visited the Lakeside City of Kisumu, where he graced a mini-tournament that was won by Vihiga United.

2. Lewis Hamilton

The record Formula 1 champion had a low-key visit to the country in August last year. Hamilton shared photos of himself at the Reteti Animal Sanctuary in Samburu, per Sports Brief. The Mercedes driver had taken full advantage of the short season break to visit the large Kalahari Desert in Namibia before coming to Kenya.

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3. Mauro Icardi

The former Paris Saint-Germain striker started his 2022 holidays tour with a visit to Rwanda before visiting the Giraffe Manor in Nairobi. Icardi was accompanied on that tour by his celebrity partner, Wanda Narra, as they shared lovely snaps of themselves feeding the giraffes.

4. Thomas Tuchel

After he was surprisingly sacked by Chelsea in September 2022, the German tactician embarked on a worldwide tour to take some time off. He was seen in India before gracing the Australian Open. The journey eventually brought him to Kenya's coastline, where Tuchel and a local took pics at Hell's Kitchen in Marafa, Kilifi County.

5. Samuel Eto'o

Sticking with the beautiful Kenyan coastline, the legendary Cameroon footballer Eto'o also flew in with his family and headed for Malindi in August last year. Eto'o confirmed this via Instagram.

Other stars who have visited the country include former Arsenal star Thierry Henry, the late football icon Pele who toured Kenya last century, the treble-winning Kalvin Phillips and former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, among others.

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Top footballers with African roots

Sports Brief also took a look at five other big footballers who have strong African roots, including Mbappe, who was born to a Cameroonian father and an Algerian-French mother.

The PSG star started his football career at AS Bondy's youth side in 2004, where his impressive showings saw him earn a move to AS Monaco and another to the French capital.

Mbappe then decided to play for his country of birth - France - and not Cameroon, with the 24-year-old surely not regretting becoming a FIFA World Cup winner with Les Bleus.