The upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament will feature a whole host of world-class players but in an alternate universe, Kevin De Bruyne could have been playing in the competition.
The Manchester City star was born in Dronen, Belgium in 1991 and is closing in on his 100th appearance for his country.
De Bruyne has played in two World Cups for the Red Devils but he was actually eligible to play for Burundi.
The 32-year-old's mother, Anna, was born in the East African country and grew up there as her grandfather had oil companies in there and Ivory Coast, where she later lived.
According to the Daily Express, De Bruyne now works petroleum engineering professional after taking control in the family business.
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She also spent some of her childhood in the London Borough of Ealing, where De Bruyne's grandparents live.
Burundi qualified for the AFCON for the first time in their history in 2019 and are currently ranked 139th in the world.
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Their notable players include Saido Berahino and Gael Bigirimana
Anna gave birth to the two-time PFA Player of the Year when she was 18 and then, together with husband Herwig, had Kevin's sister Stefanie.
De Bruyne, who speaks multiple languages, spent his childhood playing for KVV Drongen and then Gent before ending up at Genk.
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He made his Belgium debut in back in 2010, which ruled out the prospect of playing for Burundi.
De Bruyne recently returned to the pitch for City after a lengthy recovery from a hamstring problem which required surgery.
He marked his comeback with an assist in the FA Cup third round win over Huddersfield and could be in contention for a start against Newcastle United on Saturday.
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"Yes [he may start at Newcastle]," Guardiola said in his press conference on Friday.
"From what I saw yesterday, I feel good about it. He got some good minutes in training.
"He is getting better now, he will have a few days off after this game and can train in Abu Dhabi to be good for the next few months."
Topics: Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne, Premier League, Africa Cup Of Nations
Josh Lawless