Joe Aribo will tomorrow take the field with pride in his first major championships for his country, 16:00 UK time.

The Rangers star is set to be one of the players of the tournament, after a stunning 2021 saw him rated among the best in the SPL, and now has a glut of clubs south of the border sniffing about him.

But the marquee prize for any Africa-based player, aside the world cup of course, is their continental AFCON which will see Aribo up against Mo Salah’s Egypt, in a fixture which Joe will probably appreciate in that the world will be watching how Liverpool’s finest does, given he’s arguably the highest-stock player in the world right now.

Which means the focus on Aribo for that match will be a little lower, and he can quietly get on with playing his football.

There’s no question he’s one of the most quietly impressive players in the British game right now, but his profile isn’t too huge globally, and AFCON could definitely change that especially if he impresses.

So we will watch with wonder tomorrow and see how our lad gets on at his major debut.

Assuming, that is, he’s selected…