Belgium has long been the doorway to a successful career for Africans in Europe.

Here BBC Sport Online profiles some of the heroes of the future:

Moumouni Dagano:Scoring 21 times, Genk's Burkinabe striker formed a lethal partnership with Belgian international Wesley Sonck.

The duo netted 51 goals last season to become the deadliest pairing in the league.

Those efforts made Genk league champions for the second time in four years.

Dagano's talent is aided by the consistent attacking flair encouraged by coach Sef Vergossen, making Genk one of the most attractive sides to watch in Europe.

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Paul Kpaka: Kpaka took the Ebony Boot, Belgium's prize for the top African goalscorer, with a total of 25 goals last season for Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen.

Mohammed Kallon's international strike partner for Sierra Leone ended last season in emphatic style with a hat-trick on the final day.

Kpaka was a force throughout the season, with goals from almost everywhere and an absolutely lethal finish with both his head and his feet.

More of the same next year and he could soon be the next big mover out of the Juniper League.

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Rabui Afolabi: Standard Liege's Nigerian defender had a much better time last season after his plane wreck of a season on loan at Napoli.

Still only 22, Afolabi's performances for Liege gained him a place in the Super Eagles' World Cup squad, although he did not make it off the bench during the largely disastrous campaign.

However, at international level his prospects have now been brightened considerably by the retirement of Taribo West.

Afolabi is one of two Nigerian defenders with Liege, the other being the somewhat more experienced figure of Godwin Okpara.

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Aruna Dindane: Once rated amongst the best five players at his club, the career of Anderlecht's Ivory Coast midfielder hasn't quite taken off in the way that, fleetingly, it looked it might.

Back in 2001 he was linked with a big-money move to Galatasary after helping his club to the Belgian title and the second round of the Champions League.

The move fell through, and though Dindane had seemingly established himself at his club, that is now under threat as he faces a sustained period on the sidelines.

He will miss the first seven games of the season after receiving a ban from Uefa for insulting a referee in a league match towards the end of last season.