Qatar 2022: China’s Elkeson, Nico Yennaris, Ty Browning, Fernandinho and Alan Carvalho firing World Cup dream
- Li Tie has called five naturalised players up to squad for crucial Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers later this month
- China, population of 1.412 billion, could be represented by five naturalised players as they hope to qualify for first finals since 2002
The latest census figures from China published last week put the country’s population at 1.412 billion – up from 1.4 billion a year before – with analysts poring over what that means for everything from the global economy to domestic policy.
The question on some people’s lips is what does it mean for football?
China has only qualified for one Fifa World Cup finals, the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea. They played three games, losing all three and failing to score.
When China begins its training camp today in Suzhou there will be a record five overseas-born footballers in the national team camp: England-born Nico Yennaris and Ty Browning, plus the Brazil-born trio Elkeson, Alan Carvalho and Fernandinho.
It might be a new look China when they line up against Guam on May 30 in head coach Li Tie’s first Fifa World Cup qualifier.
No booze, pork or excess body fat key to China’s World Cup hopes
China have not played a World Cup qualifier since a 2-1 loss to group leaders Syria in November, 2019.
Li’s immediate task is to catch up to Syria, who they have a game in hand on, before the teams meet in Suzhou on June 15. Syria are eight points clear of China at the top of the group with the hosts also set to meet Maldives and the Philippines in between. This is the largest number of naturalised players that Li, or indeed anyone, has called up to a China squad.
“I have never heard of any restrictions – three, four, five?” the former Everton player said at the time.
“For me, there are two criteria for recruiting naturalised players. The first is to be qualified to represent the Chinese team. The second very important point is that they are willing to represent the national team.”
‘No limit’ on naturalised players, says China boss Li Tie
He praised his new call-ups at the time.
“In fact, these two newcomers to the team have a very good performance in the league first, and I have communicated with them before. Both of them have a strong desire to play for the Chinese team.”
Their desire has not been matched by fans and pundits to see them play with the topic of naturalised players proving controversial, even being mentioned by Chinese Football Assocation (CFA) officials.
“We will not let two-thirds of the national team’s line-up be Brazilian naturalised players,” CFA secretary general Liu Yi said. “We will recruit two or three, or maybe three or four Brazilian naturalised players. That’s it.”
The CFA chairman Chen Xuyuan had been even more emphatic, dismissing it as a phase.
“From the bottom of my heart, I hope it is just a small episode of a stage, let it pass. This (naturalisation) will not become the norm, it will not become the theme.”
Naturalised Browning and Fernandinho called up by China
Despite their protests Li could start with five foreign-born players against Guam and even the most nationalistic fans are likely to forgive and forget if those players can help China get back on the road to Qatar 2022 with three points.
So who are these foreign-born footballers tasked with doing what no China team has done since 2022 and qualifying for a Fifa World Cup?
Elkeson (Ai Kesen) | Age: 31 | Guangzhou FC | Caps: 4
“I am Chinese,” Elkeson wrote on his Weibo after his naturalisation was confirmed. Born Elkeson de Oliveira Cardoso in Maranhao in Brazil, he was the first player to appear for China who naturalised based on residency requirements and the first naturalised player to score for the country, netting a brace on his debut against Maldives.
The Brazil-born striker is the Chinese Super League’s record scorer. He arrived in China in 2013, signing for Guangzhou Evergrande from Botafogo. Elkeson won three consecutive Chinese Super League titles and the AFC Champions League twice in Guangzhou before moving to Shanghai SIPG in 2016. He lifted the 2018 CSL title in Shanghai before he returned to Guangzhou in 2019.
Elkeson has scored three times for China.
Alan Carvalho (A Lan) | Age: 31 | Guangzhou FC | Caps: 0
Born Alan Douglas Borges de Carvalho in Sao Paulo and known simply as Alan, the former Fluminense player moved to Austria’s RB Salzburgbefore signing for Guangzhou Evergrande in 2015. He is back at the club after loan spells at Tianjin Tianhai and Beijing Guoan in the last two seasons.
Alan was expected to join up with the China squad last September but missed out.
“China is a country that embraced me, that I love passionately, a fantastic place,” Alan told Xinhua last May, after gaining citizenship in 2019. He had expressed an interest in playing for Austria while at Salzburg but left before he met the residency requirements. Alan played for the Brazil under-20 side.
Ty Browning (Jiang Guangtai) | Age: 25 | Guangzhou FC | Caps: 0
The Liverpool-born defender is another eligible to play for China based on his family hailing from Guangdong province, with his naturalisation process completed in late 2019, several months after signing for Guangzhou Evergrande.
Browning came through the Everton academy and made seven English Premier League appearances in seven years, alongside loan spells at Preston North End, Wigan Athletic and Sunderland in the Championship.
He was called up to the England under-21s by Gareth Southgate in 2015 having represented the Three Lions at younger age levels.
Nico Yennaris (Li Ke) | Age 27 | Beijing Guoan | Caps: 5
The first naturalised player to play for China, Yennaris made his debut against the Philippines in a friendly match in June, 2019. The London-born midfielder was eligible based on heritage, with his mother’s side of the family coming from China.
Yennaris started his career at the Arsenal academy alongside Harry Kane and he would play a handful of games for Arsene Wenger’s first team before signing for Brentford in 2014.
Naturalisation of footballer Yennaris brings China into 21st century
After five years in West London, Yennaris signed for Beijing Guoan, where he has played more than 50 games. He has played five times for China after representing England at youth levels up to under-19.
Back in 2012, Yennaris, who is also eligible to play for Cyprus on his father’s side, was non-commital over his international future. “I haven’t even thought about that,” he told the Arsenal website. “It’s not a decision to be made until I have to make it and to represent any of those countries that are close to me will be an honour.”
Fernandinho (Fei Nanduo) | Age: 28 | Guangzhou FC | Caps: 0
Fernando Henrique da Conceicao, also known as Fernando Henrique, was born in Sao Paulo and played briefly for Flamengo before a move to the lower tier and then Portguese side Estoril.
From there he signed for Chongqing Lifan on loan in 2015, with the move becoming permanent the following year.
Fernandinho, who was given his first call-up last September, signed for Guanzhou Evergrande in 2019 before spending the season on loan at Hebei China Fortune.
The player’s naturalisation was put in doubt last year after he was disciplined by his club and fined 3 million yuan (US$430,000) for arriving late to their preseason training camp in Dubai.
