Have Hibs really been represented by players of 61 different nationalities?

The signing of Mykola Kukharevych and his subsequent debut against Aberdeen prompted Hibs to tweet that the 21-year-old Ukrainian striker was the 61st nationality to represent the Easter Road side.

An interesting claim, with some obvious examples – Martin Boyle for Australia, Franck Sauzée for France – and others less so, such as Mickaël Antoine-Curier’s 16 caps for Guadeloupe, or Craig Rocastle’s 12 games for Grenada.

If former states e.g. Yugoslavia are included along with principalities such as Monaco, then Hibs would appear to have had 64, not 61 nationalities represent the side at all age groups and in all competitions based on birthplace but if Monaco and Réunion are omitted and Germany comprising one country, then we arrive at the 61 figure.

Africa / CAF

Hibs have had players from a handful of African countries over the years.

Algeria-born Abderraouf Zarabi signed for Hibs in January 2008 while Jean-Marc ‘Jimmy’ Boco captained Benin.

Gael Bigirimana of Burundi was a January signing who left at the end of the same season, making a single appearance against Aberdeen in February 2019.

Defender Thierry Gathuessi won one cap for Cameroon in 2004.

A selection of some of the Hibs players to have played international football

Ivorian centre-back Sol Bamba played 80 times for Hibs between the 2008/09 and 2010/11 seasons while Franck Dja Djédjé was capped by France and theIvoryCoastat underage level.

Two Gambians have worn the green and white – defender Pa Kujabi and current first-team member Momodou Bojang – while former loanee ThomasAgyepongrepresented Ghana at international level along with the late JuniorAgogoandDenmark-bornFrancis Dickoh.

Amadou Konte hails from Mali while Morocco gave Hibs 2007 League Cup winners Abdessalam Benjelloun and Merouane Zemmama and Faycal Rherras.

Fans’ favourite Efe Ambrose accrued 51 caps for Nigeria.

Republic of Congo forwardDominiqueMalongabecame a cult favourite during his stint with the side in the mid-2010s while Yves Ma-Kalamabay turned out for the Democratic Republic of Congo on three occasions.

Islam Feruz represented Scotland at national level but was born in Somalia, while development-squad midfielder Malik Zaid was born in Libya. Summer signing Nohan Kenneh was born in Liberia before arriving in England as a refugee at the age of six while Agathe, as discussed, was born in Réunion.

Nationality count: 15 (16 including Réunion)

Asia / AFC

Only one country that falls under the Asia banner in world football concerns the Hibs first team – Australia.

Martin Boyle, Jackson Irvine, Stuart Lovell, Jamie Maclaren, and Mark Milligan have all been capped at senior level.

Yrick Gallantesrepresents the Philippines but didn’t make a first-team appearance.

Nationality count: 2

Europe / UEFA

Despite Hibs having a host of players from European countries there are some strange quirks – for instance, no Italians have ever played for Hibs; all the Polish players have been goalkeepers; and is Monaco-born Torben Joneleit Monegasque, or German?

FlorianKamberiopted to represent Albania after playing for Switzerland at age-grade but is yet to receive a cap while goalkeeperKletonPerntreouwas born in Tirana.

Klaus Dietrich and Peter Guggi of Austria played a handful of games while Alen Orman also represented Austria.

Rocky Bushiri, Allan Delferrière, and Stéphane Oméonga represented Belgiumat underage level while Sylvester Jasper plays for Bulgaria Under-21s.

Hibs have had one player each from Croatia – Marijan Čabraja – and Cyprus, in Alex Gogić,whilegoalkeepingpairTomáš Černý and Jakub Diviš bothhailfrom the Czech Republic.

A trio from Denmark have worn green and white over the years – Morten Hyldgaard, Ulrik Laursen, and John Madsen.

Henri Anier remains the sole Estonian to have played for Hibs.

Jonatan Johansson, Shefki Kuqi, Mixu Paatelainen, Juha Riipa, Otso Virtanen, and Jarkko Wissmake up the Finland contingentwhile 18 players from France have turned out for Hibs – among them Guillaume Beuzelin, Franck Sauzee, and David Zitelli.

Matthias Jack was born in Leipzig when it was part of East Germany and Dirk Lehmann in the then West German city ofAachen.Monaco-born Torben Joneleit representedGermanyat Under-21 level.

Charalampos Mavrias remains the club’s sole Greek, while there have been five Hungarians – Ádám Bogdán, Dávid Gróf, János Mátyus, Dénes Rósa, and Thomas Sowunmi.

A total of 24 players from the Republic of Ireland have made more than 800 appearances for Hibs along with three for Iceland – Victor Pálsson, Bjarni Lárusson, and Ólafur Gottskálksson – and one for Israel, Ofir Marciano.

Hibs have had more players hailing from Lithuania (three) than the Netherlands (two), and more from Norway (four) than Poland and Portugal (three each).

Two players have represented Spain – Francisco ‘Paco’ Luna and Antonio Reguero – and Sweden (Daniel Andersson and Melker Hallberg) while Oumar Kondé was capped by Switzerland at under-21 level.

Kukharevych is the first Ukrainian to play for Hibs.

There have been 63 players from England, six from Wales, 15from Northern Ireland and of course vast numbers of Scots.

Hibs also had players representIreland (IFA) before there were separate Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland XIs.

Players including Kuqi and Orman were born in what was then Yugoslavia.

Nationality count: 32 (34 including Monaco and East and West Germany)

North, Central American and Caribbean / CONCACAF

Canada has been represented in green and white byPaul Fenwick andMike Franks, along with youngsters Keegan Ayre and Emilio Bottiglieri. David Wotherspoon was later capped by Canada after leaving Easter Road.

Hibs have had a handful of USA players – Emerson Hyndman, Chris Mueller, and Jonathan Spector, as well as Gerry Baker.

Jorge Claros is the sole Honduran representative while Shelton Martis represented Curaçao (former Netherlands Antilles). Former loan star Craig Rocastleturned out for Grenada whileMickaël Antoine-Curier was capped 16 times by Guadeloupe.

Dillon Barnes, Clayton Donaldson, and Chris Humphrey have been capped by Jamaica while Earl Jean was a prolific striker for Saint Lucia.

Lyndon Andrews, Russell Latapy, and Tony Rougier were regulars for Trinidad and Tobago.

Nationality count: 9

South America / CONMEBOL

Ulises de la Cruz and Eduardo Hurtado represented Ecuador, and Fabian Yantorno hails from Uruguay.

Nationality count: 2

Oceania / OFC

Chris Killen (New Zealand) is the only player and country to feature here.

Nationality count: 1