ASSOU-EKOTTO SLAMS KYLIAN MBAPE OVER AFRICAN HERITAGE.

Ex-Tottenham full-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto has reignited his spat with Kylian Mbappe.

The 34-year-old Metz player called out the Paris Saint-Germain star earlier this year on social media by suggesting the French World Cup winner does not care that much about his African heritage.

Mbappe was born in France to parents of Cameroonian and Algerian descent, but opted to play for France and the former Spurs defender has questioned how bothered the forward is about his African roots.
Image: Betty/ Contributor.

Benoît Pierre David Assou-Ekotto (born 24 March 1984) is a professional footballer who plays as a left back.
Ekotto began his career at Lens and in 2006 was signed by Tottenham Hotspur. He became a first-team regular for the Premier League side, totalling 200 appearances across all competitions. He was loaned to Queens Park Rangers in 2013 and released in 2015, after which he joined Saint-Étienne. Despite being born in France, Assou-Ekotto represented Cameroon at international level, participating in two FIFA World Cuptournaments.

Mbappe, 19, like Assou-Ekotto, was born in France to parents of Cameroonian and Algerian descent, but, unlike the full-back, opted to represent his country of birth at international level.

The forward spoke publicly about his desire to honour his family's roots by helping to develop the game in Africa during a meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron and Liberian president George Weah.

But Assou-Ekotto was having none of it and let rip on social media.

He tweeted:
“European players of African origin who hold Africa in their hearts and who want to help the sport in Africa… blah, blah, blah… while rushing to play for a European national team make me chuckle.

“It looks good when you have a cause though.”

His outburst sparked a sarcastic response from the young attacker on Twitter.

And the defender who spent nine years at White Hart Lane has now reopened the debate about identity in multi-cultural France.

He told RMC:
“Put yourself in the place of the players from Cameroon.

“You, a French player are going to come to develop us… Stay at home, help your guys in Bondy, in your neighbourhood, in your France.

“Yes, you love Africa, but you never go there.

“So what's the story? Yes, you love your wife, but you go out with another.

“It's a game I know, manipulate public opinion, blah, blah blah.”

SOURCE: Sun.

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