BBC SPORT | Football | Africa | Africans abroad



By Durosimi Thomas BBC Sport Online

On 16 August Ajax Amsterdam will begin the defence of the title they won so well last year - and the name that will be on the lips of many is Egyptian striker Ahmed Hossam Mido.

Netherlands' star Africans

The new wonder boy scored almost every week as the Amsterdam giants clinched a 28th league championship.

The Dutch League, like that of neighbours Belgium, is one of those that is clustered with several African players.

Indeed, historically, Ajax have usually enjoyed great success with African players in the side.

Their 1995 European Cup victory, for example, was achieved with another 19-year-old African up front - Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu.

The shadow of Kanu

Ajax will come up against the usual rivals - Feyenoord of Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven - for the title this season.

Feyenoord, Uefa Cup winners last season, have had Ivorian Bonaventure Kalou for five seasons, during which he has contributed 25 goals.

He is working on his fitness during a training tour in Austria, but that should do little to dent their title hopes.

Eric Addo
Addo has has an injury-plagued two years
Meanwhile Guus Hiddink, so successful with South Korea during the World Cup, is back in his native Netherlands with PSV, owned by electrical giant Philips.

In his armoury are two Africans, defender Adil Ramzy of Morocco and Ghanaian midfielder Eric Addo.

Addo could stay on with the club despite an investigation by a Dutch magazine that described him as the league's biggest-ever transfer flop after spending two seasons out with injury since his move from Brugge in 1999.

Addo named biggest flop

But other of his continental compatriots are not so fortunate.

Cameroonian Bernard Tchoutang is almost certain to leave Roda JC to head for the Ukraine, while his team mate Garba Lawal of Nigeria looks set to join Levski Sofia of Bulgaria.

For some, the Dutch league has not proved to be entirely a bed of tulips.


	Links to more Africans abroad stories