List of Naturalized Players in Asia?

Discussion in 'Asian Football Confederation' started by tato_Top, Aug 9, 2011.

  1. Football Asia

    Football Asia Member

    Oct 17, 2014
    But it is not the immigrants that are on your national team but rather people that Qatar buys and have no relation to the country. I am not sure about Iran but ive heard working conditions are very good in qatar thats why everyone is so happy about 2022...
     
  2. T F CHAK

    T F CHAK New Member

    Feb 1, 2013
    Hong Kong
    Club:
    --other--
    Hong Kong:
    Lawrence Chimezie Akandu (Age 40) - Nigeria [Mutual FC (Hong Kong Second Division)] Capped 7 Goal 1
    Gerard Ambassa Guy (Age 36) - Cameroon [RETIRED] Capped 29 Goal 6
    Cristiano Cordeiro (Age 41) - Brazil [RETIRED] Capped 13 Goal 1
    Colly Ezeh Barnes (Age 34) - Cameroon [RETIRED] Capped 1 Goal 0
    Landon Ling (Age 27) - Canada [Sun Pegasus (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Godfred Karikari (Age 29) - Ghana [Beijing Baxy (Chinese First Division)] Capped 7 Goal 0
    Moses Mensah (Age 36) - Ghana [YFCMD (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Jaimes McKee (Age 27) - England [Sun Pegasus (Hong Kong Premier League)] Capped 14 Goal 1
    Michael Luk (Age 28) - Canada [Eastern SC (Hong Kong Premier League)] Capped 4 Goal 0
    Sean Tse (Age 22) - Ireland/England [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Jack Jonathan Sealy (Age 28) - England [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Capped 6 Goal 0
    Wisdom Fofo Agbo (Age 35) - Ghana [Harbin Yiteng (Chinese Super League)] Capped 9 Goal 0
    Shay Spitz (Age 26) - New Zealand/USA [Rangers FC (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Matthew Lam (Age 25) - Canada [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Emmet Wan (Age 22) - Ireland [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Andy Nagelein (Age 33) - Germany [Hunan Xiangtao (Chinese First Division)] Capped 7 Goal 0
    Christian Annan (Age 36) - Ghana [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Capped 6 Goal 0
    Roberto Junior (Age 31) - Brazil/Italy [Eastern SC (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Jean-Jacques Kilama (Age 29) - Cameroon [Eastern SC (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Andrew Russell (Age 27) - England [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Itaparica (Age 34) - Brazil [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Festus Baise (Age 34) - Nigeria/Ghana [Sun Pegasus (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Detinho (Age 41) - Brazil [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Helio (Age 28) - Brazil [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Paulinho Piracicaba (Age 31) - Brazil [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Alex Akande (Age 25) - Nigeria [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Sandro (Age 27) -Brazil [Wong Tai Sin (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
     
  3. edlee1992

    edlee1992 Member+

    Apr 3, 2012
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Gwangju FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    o_O
     
  4. Angsa

    Angsa Member

    Aug 26, 2008
    Hong Kong
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    #29 Angsa, Nov 14, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2014
    Hong Kong:
    Lawrence Chimezie Akandu (Age 40) - Nigeria [Mutual FC (Hong Kong Second Division)] Capped 7 Goal 1
    Gerard Ambassa Guy (Age 36) - Cameroon [RETIRED] Capped 29 Goal 6
    Cristiano Cordeiro (Age 41) - Brazil [RETIRED] Capped 13 Goal 1
    Colly Ezeh Barnes (Age 34) - Cameroon [RETIRED] Capped 1 Goal 0
    Landon Ling (Age 27) - Canada [Sun Pegasus (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Godfred Karikari (Age 29) - Ghana [Beijing Baxy (Chinese First Division)] Capped 7 Goal 0
    Moses Mensah (Age 36) - Ghana [YFCMD (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Jaimes McKee (Age 27) - England [Sun Pegasus (Hong Kong Premier League)] Capped 14 Goal 1
    Michael Luk (Age 28) - Canada [Eastern SC (Hong Kong Premier League)] Capped 4 Goal 0
    Sean Tse (Age 22) - Ireland/England [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Jack Jonathan Sealy (Age 28) - England [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Capped 6 Goal 0
    Wisdom Fofo Agbo (Age 35) - Ghana [Harbin Yiteng (Chinese Super League)] Capped 9 Goal 0
    Shay Spitz (Age 26) - New Zealand/USA [Rangers FC (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Matthew Lam (Age 25) - Canada [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Emmet Wan (Age 22) - Ireland [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Andy Nagelein (Age 33) - Germany [Hunan Xiangtao (Chinese First Division)] Capped 7 Goal 0
    Christian Annan (Age 36) - Ghana [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Capped 6 Goal 0
    Roberto Junior (Age 31) - Brazil/Italy [Eastern SC (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Jean-Jacques Kilama (Age 29) - Cameroon [Eastern SC (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Andrew Russell (Age 27) - England [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Itaparica (Age 34) - Brazil [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Festus Baise (Age 34) - Nigeria/Ghana [Sun Pegasus (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Detinho (Age 41) - Brazil [South China (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Helio (Age 28) - Brazil [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Paulinho Piracicaba (Age 31) - Brazil [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Alex Akande (Age 25) - Nigeria [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Sandro (Age 27) -Brazil [Wong Tai Sin (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped
    Leung Robson Augusto Ka Hai (Age 21) - Brazil [Kitchee (Hong Kong Premier League)] Uncapped

    Actually, some of them were born in HK so they qualified as Hongkongers that way and that's no difference to any other local player. (Those in bald)

    A few grew up in HK so they spent over 7 years in HK during their school years. They did not become naturalized Hongkongers because they came to play professional football. (Those in bald and italics)

    One or two qualify through parentage. (Those in italics)

    Those underlined do not actually qualify yet to play for Hong Kong.
     
  5. Nurafshon

    Nurafshon Member+

    Jun 28, 2007
    Germany
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Uzbekistan
  6. sokorny

    sokorny Member

    Nov 6, 2014
    Westerm Australia
    Club:
    Perth Glory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    Australia would have a few too (just in the A-League teams):

    Adama Traore (Cote d'Ivorie) - but because he played for Cote at youth level he can't play for Australia
    Cassio (Brazil) - never represented Australia though
    Bruce Djite (USA) - although lived in Australia since 3 and has represented the NT
    Mark Ochieng (Nigeria) - has played for NT U17
    Awer Mabil (Sudan)
    Matt Smith (England) - capped 3 times
    Kofi Danning (Ghana) - played for junior NT sides
    Dino Dulbic (Serbia)
    Bernie Ibini (Nigeria) - has been capped
    Vedran Janjetovic (Croatia)
    Labinot Haliti (Albania) - can represent either NT (won't get a Australian call up I don't believe ever)
    Nikitia Rukavytsya (Ukraine) - has played for Australian junior and senior teams
    Golgol Mebrahtu (Eriteria) - has played for junior Australia NT sides
    Alusine Fofanah (Sierra Leone)

    Australia tends to have the opposite problem usually, that is retaining players who can play for another country. I believe when Australia played Croatia in the 2006 World Cup that 3 players in the Croat's starting side were born in Australia. Australia has also lost players to countries such as Greece, Serbia and Turkey in the past.
     
  7. newnorth

    newnorth Member

    Nov 23, 2014
    Philippines has many naturalized players. They are of Filipino descent, though.
     
  8. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    #33 Pelefan, Nov 24, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2014
    Sorry we don't consider them naturalized if they have a Filipino parent/s. We follow jus sanguinis to determine citizenship, and any person who can prove he has a Filipino parent/s is considered a citizen and can obtain a passport without going through the process of naturalization. Alternatively, even if you were born in the Philippines and spent the first 20 years of your life there, it will still be difficult to obtain a passport(we do not recognize the principle of jus soli), as has happened among some native born basketball players who grew up in the Philippines and wanted to play for our national team, but who have foreign parents. It takes a very long time(longer than someone's professional career). It would need an act of congress and the signature of the President to facilitate this process. That is why, unlike in other countries(not just Qatar) we cannot naturalize imports in our local league. We have had some very good foreign players in our local football league who have wanted to play for our national team, but was denied the opportunity, because they were unable to obtain a passport. So we have to depend upon our diaspora of which I consider myself a part of, to reinforce our team.

    Also, I have found many articles erroneously naming some of our players as foreign born, just because they have foreign sounding names. Some of them were actually born in the Philippines, but later in their life moved abroad where they learned to play football in the countries they moved to. Nevertheless in most cases they have been exposed to Filipino culture through their parents, have been to the Philippines many times, and have an easy time adjusting to our team.
     
  9. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    sokorny

    You might want to include in your list the captain of the U-20 Aussie national team Hagi Gligor who is of Romanian/Philippine heritage.
     
  10. Football Asia

    Football Asia Member

    Oct 17, 2014
    So which countries dont have naturalized players?
    Iran
    Korea
    China?

    Anyone else?
     
  11. edlee1992

    edlee1992 Member+

    Apr 3, 2012
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Gwangju FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    yea but u have 2 players that was trained outside of iran, therefore they are not a product of iranian football. the reason in bringing in foreign players is to improve ur team, and bringing in Ashkan and Gucci is the same concept. imagine ur team without Gucci and Ashkan
     
  12. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    #37 Pelefan, Nov 24, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2014
    Iran has had many players of mixed heritage in their national team in their history or were born abroad but with Iranian parents. Aside from the above players mentioned, Steven Beitashour for example is an American born dual citizen, but plays for Iran. Another is Omid Naziri who was born in Sweden and is of half Iranian/half Filipino heritage. The principle of jus sanguinis is also preeminent in their legal system, as they consider those who have left their country and their descendants as Iranian, regardless of their current abode. The Iranian Football Federation has scouts looking for quality players from abroad to help their team. I know this for a fact, because they have sent a few of them to talk to the Nazari brothers(Omid and Amin), who were also contacted by the PFF.
     
  13. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    One country that does not have football players born abroad is India as they do not recognize dual citizenship.
     
  14. Football Asia

    Football Asia Member

    Oct 17, 2014
    Dejagah and gucci are not naturalized players are you people stupid....
    These players are iranians that were born in iran to iranian parents but raised abroad. That is no where near going out and buying a uruguyan to play for your national team. Even davari who is half iranian is not naturalized it is not like he is some german guy with no relation to iran. So iran has no naturalized players... There are many foreign players that have wanted to play for iran but have been denied
     
  15. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    I agree. I don't think Iran has any naturalized players either as they are all clearly of Iranian heritage.
     
    Zandi360 repped this.
  16. sokorny

    sokorny Member

    Nov 6, 2014
    Westerm Australia
    Club:
    Perth Glory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    Iran has a huge refugee population, are any of these refugees making an impact (or are they not granted citizen to Iran)?

    Will be interesting in the cases of countries like Qatar if the player's stay in the country after their playing career is over (Australia has benefited from this in sports such as basketball, where American imports have become citizens and brought their children up here, e.g. Exum Dante in the NBA).

    Also majority of the migrants who have played for Australia of late have grown up here, or they are first/second generation Australians (e.g. Mustafa Amini was born in Australia to Afghan father and Central American mum, Mark Viduka born in Australia to Croat parents, Harry Kewell born in Australia to an English father and Aussie mum etc.). Will countries such as Qatar profit from this type of migration in the future, or will the current crop of players move on when their playing careers finish? (Therefore the country always having to "import" new foreigners?)
     
  17. sokorny

    sokorny Member

    Nov 6, 2014
    Westerm Australia
    Club:
    Perth Glory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    FIFA however does recognise players being allowed to play based on their parental heritage. E.g. Mark Viduka could have played for Croatia, although he was born in Australia and held only Australian citizenship (well when younger). Similar with Harry Kewell (although he may have held dual citizenship as he moved to England at a young age). Dual citizenship is no longer accepted in Australia either (except for historical circumstances).

    There was even a case in Australia where an Australian player was threatening to play for Turkey(?) because his dad was from there. But the player had never been to the country and didn't speak their language (not sure if he carried through with his threat).
     
  18. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    #43 Pelefan, Nov 24, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2014
    It doesn't matter what FIFA allows. These players still have to obtain a passport and in many cases like for instance India, they are very strict about not allowing dual citizenship. So even players of Indian heritage, of which there are a few playing abroad(esp. England) were not able to play for them. Instead they are granted something called an Overseas Citizenship of India, which doesn't really consider you a real citizen and therefore not entitled to a passport, but allows them some privileges granted residents of that country.

    I know of the many Aussie born players who chose to play for European teams but I noticed that many of them who have played for the youth teams tend to develop a bond with their teammates and identify with Australia, so in these cases, I don't think you have to worry about them choosing another side, unless of course that other side is a traditional World Cup powerhouse with a long established tradition.
     
  19. edlee1992

    edlee1992 Member+

    Apr 3, 2012
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Gwangju FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    read carfully i said trained. iam talking about concept here. those two guys developed in foreign countries not iran. those guys are a product of european football
     
  20. hanul21

    hanul21 Guest

    not to kindle the fire but they could also counter that /w our Barca kids. you could argue that they are the product of European Football.

    I sort of see what you're saying though. Dejagah and Gucchi would've definitely repreented a different country if they were good enough. As good as they are, its hard to see Dejagah representing Germany and Ghoochannejhad Holland and it only made sense to represent a country they could regularly get called up to represent (Iran).
     
  21. Zandi360

    Zandi360 Member+

    Dec 10, 2013
    Club:
    Sepahan
    Nat'l Team:
    Iran
    The play their hearts out for Iran, consider themselves Iranian, and are 100% with Iranian blood. That's good enough for me and for every other Iranian fan.I know that Edlee and some other Koreans don't like that but deal with it because there are an insane number of Iranians outside Iran and you guys will have to face other cases like this one in the future.
     
  22. edlee1992

    edlee1992 Member+

    Apr 3, 2012
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Gwangju FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    i understand that but the other guy is making seem that all the players from Iran is a product of iran and putting down other countries. example Philippines.
     
  23. Zandi360

    Zandi360 Member+

    Dec 10, 2013
    Club:
    Sepahan
    Nat'l Team:
    Iran
    Putting down other countries? Philippines? Philippines' best players are also not 100% from Philippines, have other origin/blood and are products of Dutch or German football.
    And this isn't about putting down countries, how in the world did he put them down please explain? A national team is for players from that country, that have roots from there, not for players produced domestically.
    Either way Iran's best players historically have been produced in Iran, Dejagah and Ghoochannejhad are average compared to our best domestically produced players.
     
  24. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    #49 Pelefan, Nov 25, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2014
    I am not putting down other countries. I am just emphasizing that all of our players have Filipino heritage just like Iran's. Some of them might not have born there, but they consider themselves Filipino, are proud of their heritage, and are very much aware of the culture, customs and the cuisine and have visited the country numerous times. Some can speak our local language fluently. They are not offered financial incentives like other countries, and sometimes risk their professional careers by traveling thousands of miles to play for our country, which their clubs sometimes disapprove of.
    We have only recently rediscovered our passion for football(we won the first ever Asian football tournament in Asia back in 1913 in the Far Eastern Games when it was still a popular sport and acc. to FIFA in an article in 2007, have produced the best Asian player of all time in Paulino Alcantara) after decades of losing interest in the game which is now on its way to becoming a major sport again in our country thanks to our diaspora and now have a thriving year round professional league, where our local talents can develop and thrive which would not have been possible without them.
    Many of them have now moved to the Philippines permanently, bringing their European experience to the domestic scene, not only by playing professionally, but also by establishing academies where a new generation of young Filipino talent are being trained and developed.

    We have embraced them as one of our own because we consider them as Filipinos and they have responded in kind.
    The long term goal is to source most of the players domestically but when you have a population half the size of Australia's living abroad especially in traditionally strong football countries, there will always be talent from overseas, that will be considered for the national team and it would be foolish of us not to use that talent. After all, strong World Cup nations even with their deep talent, like Germany, and Spain do it. Why shouldn't we?
     
  25. ashindia

    ashindia Member

    Apr 14, 2009
    India,Hyderabad
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    India
    India doesnt have any, Indian Govt doesn't allow dual nationalities so even Indian origin sportsmen cannot represent the nation in any sport.
     

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