Born in Spain, Ivan Zarandona shines in Africa and now plays in Hong Kong
Fresh face for BC Rangers caught the eye during Equatorial Guinea's surprise run to the African Cup of Nations quarter-finals this year
Ivan Zarandona did not get his first sight of Equatorial Guinea, the country he chose to represent, until he was turning out for the nation on the international stage.
Born in Valladolid, with a Spanish father and a mother from the African nation, Zarandona did not visit Equatorial Guinea until he was 23 years old.
"I had never been to Equatorial Guinea until I was called up for international duty by them," said the 34-year-old midfielder, who plays for BC Rangers in Hong Kong's top tier.
"My elder brother, Benjamin, was the first to make up his mind to represent the country and I followed in his footsteps.
The team is like a big family with strong bonds among the players and that's why we played so well
"We are not the only Spanish players who have switched to the country. When I first played for them, there were 10 national team players who were born in Spain and now there are 14 in the current squad."