It is now said that an African-born star has completed his naturalisation process and is now eligible to represent China ahead of the upcoming FIFA international break.
In December 2024, it was reported that DR Congo-born Oscar Maritu was in the process of acquiring Chinese citizenship after spending more than five years in the country.
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While there are many examples of African-born players representing European nations, there are not many examples of Africans changing allegiance to Asian nations.
Now, according to reports, Maritu successfully completed his naturalisation process on Monday, thus becoming available for selection in China's upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Australia on 20 and 25 March 2025.
"I grew up in China and I have been here for a long time. You could even say that I was trained by the Chinese Professional League," Maritu said during an interview after getting his papers, according to AfricaFoot.
He added that his ambition was: "To make history by becoming the first naturalized African player to represent China and to help the team achieve the best possible results."
Elsewhere, Maritu recently joined Yunnan Yukun in the Chinese Super League, where he will be teaming up with former Mamelodi Sundowns and Zimbabwe striker Nyasha Mushekwi.
Maritu arrived in China from DR Congo in 2018 and has never played football outside the Asian country since.
Furthermore, he has also never been capped by his country of birth.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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