Naturalised Elkeson ‘named’ in China’s World Cup squad but inclusion by Marcello Lippi kicks off debate online
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“You say goodbye, I say hello,” sang the Beatles and it sums up the comings and goings of Chinese football perfectly.
Apparently, Elkeson is about to say hello to international football with China and say goodbye to Brazilian citizenship.
That’s the latest from the Chinese media who are reporting that the striker will be named in Marcello Lippi’s next China squad for the World Cup qualifiers which start in September.
China’s first game is against the Maldives, which gives Elkeson chance to get off on the good foot – and maybe even win over some of the voices who are against him and what he represents for Chinese football.
Speculation surrounding the striker’s international future has raged for several years as he approached the five-year residence mark that makes him eligible to play for China under Fifa rules.