One of Senegal’s breakout stars in their unlucky Russia 2018 World Cup campaign (like the other African teams in the Cup, they didn’t make it to the Round of 16; in Senegal’s case, because they had more yellow cards than Japan), was Moussa Wague. In Senegal’s second group match, a 2-2 draw with Japan, 19 year old Wague announced his presence in international football with a thumping shot in the 71st minute to give Senegal the 2-1 lead. Meanwhile, Nigeria picked another 19 year old in goal: Francis Uzoho. He was impressive in Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Iceland and was unlucky against Argentina. Wague and Uzoho have a lot in common. They both play for a small Belgian club KAS Eupen, a club with mostly African players in its first team. And Wague and Uzoho got to Belgium via Aspire Academy, an elite sports academy in Qatar. What does Eupen have in common in Aspire? KAS Eupen is owned by a Qatar sheikh. So is Aspire. The journalist Sebastian Abbot’s new book, The Away Game: The Epic Search for Soccer’s Next Superstars (the UK edition was published today by Arena Books), traces these connections, especially the story of Aspire Academy, and their impacts on African football, especially in West Africa. (Wague and Uzoho are not its only standout graduates; others are the Senegalese Diawandou Diagne, briefly at FC Barcelona, and Nigerian Henry Onyekuru at Everton and Anderlecht). What follows is a conversation via email.