Mark Gleeson
More than half the players at the African Nations Cup finals come from clubs in Europe, Asia and central America, reflecting the growing dispersal of African talent from the continent.
The Confederation of African Football issued the final 22-man squads of 15 of the 16 competing countries on Thursday - only co-hosts Ghana failed to comply with the Wednesday midnight deadline - and 156 of the players come from clubs in 16 European countries.
African countries will also field players based in Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The biggest contingent on view at the 16-nation tournament which starts on January 22 will come from the French league. There are 42 France-based players, almost double the 23 from Germany, the second highest total.
Countries have called up players from clubs in the Netherlands and Turkey (13 each), England, Portugal and Spain (11 each) and Romania and Scotland, where African footballers are still something of a rarity.
Only Algeria, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Tunisia have named squads with a majority of home-based players. Tunisia show only three foreign-based players in their side while Algeria have called up seven players from clubs outside the country.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the selection of 12 locally-based players has been forced on coach Basilua Lusadusu through a lack of funds.
The central African country has traditionally called up a large number of Belgian-based professionals but all have been ignored this time around.
Even Egypt, who discouraged the exit of top players up to a decade ago, are in the unfamiliar position of naming a squad with 11 European-based players.
Zambian captain Kalusha Bwalya, 36, will be the oldest player at the tournament and Nantes reserve Gabon's Shiva Nzigou, 16, the youngest to appear in any finals if he plays. - Reuters