Inaki Williams, Achraf Hakimi and Other AFCON 2023 Stars Who Switched Nationalities

• Inaki Williams headlines a list of stars who switched nationalities to play for African teams
• The Atletico Bilbao striker will lead Ghana's attack at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
• Sports Brief takes a look at other players who pled their allegiance to African sides

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) will kick off on January 13 with a plethora of continental football stars showcasing their talent across five cities in Ivory Coast.

Defending champions Senegal, World Cup semi-finalists Morocco and a Mohamed Salah-led Egypt will be among the favourites to lift the trophy in the February 11 final.

All 24 teams have already submitted their 27-man squads to CAF, which can be amended in case of injuries before the teams play their first games.

Of the more than 600 players who will be in Ivory Coast, not all were born and bred in Africa and if different circumstances had played out differently, they would be representing different countries.

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Players who changed their nationalities at AFCON 2023

Sports Brief looks at some players who switched nationalities to represent the countries they will be turning out for at AFCON 2023.

1. Inaki Williams -Ghana

The Atletico Bilbao forward was born in Spain to Ghanaian parents. He made the decision to switch his allegiance to the Balck Stars in July 2022 ahead of the Qatar World Cup, where he led the line for the four-time African champions.

He will be hoping to lead Ghana to their first AFCON title since 1982. His younger brother, Nico Williams, chose to represent Spain and has become a regular for La Roja.

2. Achraf Hakimi - Morocco

Arguably one of the most talented players in the continent after the likes of Sadio Mane and Salah. The versatile fullback was born in Spain to Moroccan parents. He came through Real Madrid ranks before heading out on loan to Borussia Dortmund,

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Currently at Paris Saint-Germain, the 25-year-old starred in AFCON 2022 with his immaculate ability at setpieces before helping his side become the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals.

3. Alex Iwobi - Nigeria

The former Arsenal player was born in Lagos but moved to England shortly after his fourth birthday. The attacking midfielder represented England at the youth level before switching in 2015 to represent the Super Eagles.

He has represented Nigeria in a couple of major tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

4. Sebastian Haller - Ivory Coast

Haller represented France at the youth levels but failed to capture Didier Deschamps' attention for a senior call-up. He first featured for the Elephants in 2020 and was called up for AFCON 2022.

With the tournament now on home soil, the Borussia Dortmund striker could rise to the occasion by leading his side to glory.

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5. Yan Valery - Tunisia

Like Haller, Valery played for France's lower teams before he finally accepted a call-up by Tunisia in September 2022.

He has been included in the Carthage Eagles roster for AFCON 2023, where they will face Mali, South Africa and Namibia in Group E.

6. Houssem Aouar - Algeria

So talented was Aouar that he was once the subject of intense interest from Arsenal. Now at AS Roma, the midfielder made only one appearance for the French national team before switching to Algeria.

The 25-year-old is in Djamel Belmadi's star-studded squad that will be hoping to reclaim a tile they won in 2019.

Algerian legend names AFCON contenders

Sports Brief also previously reported on Algerian football legend Rabah Madjer naming possible AFCON 2023 winners.

The Algerian said it is difficult to pick just one team considering there are several teams that could go all the way to win it all.

Madjer is one of Africa's greatest players. He won the 1990 AFCON with Algeria as well as the 1987 European Cup with Porto.