African stars ready to light up UEFA Champions League Final

The UEFA Champions League final has been set, with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain meeting on Saturday 30th May to decide the biggest prize in European football. The game may be to crown the best club side in Europe, but the number of African players involved means it’ll attract interest from across the continent.

Arsenal feature a number of players with Nigerian heritage, including Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke. PSG are equally filled with African stars, such as Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, while star forward Ousmane Dembélé has parental ties to Mauritania and Senegal through his mother, and Mali with his father.

These players will ensure the eyes of Africa are on the game, and those following from South Africa can use Bettors.co.za for all the latest betting odds and previews.

Each team will have its own unique challenges to overcome if they want to win Europe’s biggest club competition, and this is what they’ll need to do to find glory.

Biggest test for Arsenal’s mentality

The Arsenal players’ biggest challenge in winning the Champions League will be in their own heads, rather than on the pitch. Nobody is doubting the strength of Mike Arteta’s squad, with Saka joined by top stars such as midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard, and key striker Viktor Gyökeres. The North London club have the talent to take PSG on.

Where Arsenal has had issues this season, though, has been mental strength.

After being on track to win four trophies, Arsenal suffered a shock elimination to Southampton in the FA Cup, and lost the League Cup final to Manchester City. The team also suffered a big dip in form in the league, allowing Manchester City back into contention.

Things appear to have stabilised for now. The 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid to reach the Champions League final showed Arsenal at its defensive best, with William Saliba at the heart of the efforts. The club is also back in control of the Premier League after Manchester City unexpectedly dropped points to Everton. Still, the team always seems just one poorly timed defeat away from the questions coming back louder than ever.

Arteta and Arsenal will be desperate for the interrogations about their mental strength and ability to win trophies to end. A Champions League victory over a side as good as PSG will certainly do that.

Reigning champions PSG with rare opportunity to repeat

The challenge for Paris Saint-Germain is very different. The club is the face of French football, and enjoy unprecedented support from the Ligue de Football Professionnel.

League games have even been moved to make PSG’s journey to the final easier, and now they have the chance to become just the second team in the modern era to win back-to-back Champions League trophies.

PSG defeated Inter Milan 5-0 in last year’s final, and will head to Puskás Aréna in Hungary knowing victory over Arsenal will establish them as the dominant force in European football. The club will now needs to do everything it can to ensure it doesn’t return to its former days of ego and disappointment.

The fixture also provides an intriguing clash between manager Luis Enrique and his old teammate, Mikel Arteta. The pair were together at Barcelona in the late 90s, when Enrique was a first team star and Arteta coming up through the ranks. Both have spoken respectfully of each other’s managerial skills, although their competitive natures will doubtless drive them to want to come out on top.

The one slight issue for PSG is an injury to star right back Hakimi. Although the Moroccan is expected to be fit in time for the final, fans will be hoping he doesn’t suffer any kind of setback to jeopardise his involvement.