Anaïs Ebayilin relishes PSG’s Abidjan final with family roots in Côte d’Ivoire | OneFootball

Anaïs Ebayilin is relishing PSG’s League Cup final in Abidjan on Saturday, a homecoming of sorts for the 18-year-old France international whose parents are from Côte d’Ivoire. Kick-off is at 18:30, with the match broadcast on L’Équipe. The breakout midfielder has impressed this season under Paulo César.

According to L’Équipe, while some team-mates were taken aback by the destination, Ebayilin greeted the news with delight. She expects relatives to attend and says they are thrilled. She has been talking non-stop about the trip, keen to introduce team-mates to local food, and calls it a source of pride.

Team-mates Jackie Groenen and Sakina Karchaoui backed that up on Friday. The PSG captain said at a press conference that Ebayilin has been dancing, delighted to be here, and has spoken about her country and culture, describing the mix of backgrounds in the squad as enriching and a strength.

Later, Ebayilin was among the most in-demand players at a meeting with local PSG supporter clubs, signing autographs and posing for selfies. She was then surrounded by family members at the team hotel.

Despite her age, she handles the media comfortably and often says she enjoys it. Speaking about her bond with Côte d’Ivoire, she recalled travelling there every year when younger, though the schedule now does not always allow it. She describes the country as part of her values and praises Ivorians’ joy of life and humour.

Source: L'Équipe