Reporter Han Bing reported With the arrival of Axon in Chengdu Rongcheng, the non-blood naturalized players of Chinese football have re-entered the field of vision of Chinese fans. Now that the national football team has officially announced the new manager Jankovic, the new national team training is about to begin, and he will go to New Zealand in March to warm up with the host for two games. Looking forward to the Asian Cup to be held in Qatar early next year, how many naturalized players the national football team still has to call is also the focus of fans' attention. After all, the national football team, which is now at a low ebb, has not participated in high-quality international competitions for almost a year, and naturalized players can still help to some extent in preparing for the World Cup Asian qualifier round of 36 and next year's Asian Cup.
This newspaper recently learned that after Jankovic coaches the Chinese men's national team, the figures of Axon, Jiang Guangtai and Li Ke will appear in the new national team list.
Axon, who returned to China after more than a year, was warmly welcomed by fans at Chengdu Airport. Fans have not forgotten that he has previously expressed his desire to play in the Asian Cup in China. Although the Asian Cup has been relocated, there is no doubt that Axon, who has returned to the Chinese Super League, will once again enter the national team's sights.
Although Axon's Gremio in the second division last season was not the main player, after all, he was in the Brazilian giants with a high level of competition. This return to the Chinese Super League, if it can return to normal, should be able to have a place in the national football team. Axon is still hopeful of playing in the Asian Cup, as it is the last continental tournament he can compete in as a professional, and one of the main reasons why he is trying to return to the Chinese Super League.
With the replacement of the national football team with a new coach and the resumption of training and preparation, the controversy over the retention of naturalized players no longer exists. Jiang Guangtai, who has been playing for the Chinese Super League, will undoubtedly remain in the selection, making 25 appearances in the Chinese Super League and FA Cup last season and remains the absolute workhorse of the Guangzhou team and Shanghai Port Defense. After making his first appearance in the top 40 for the national football team in May 2021, he made 14 appearances in 17 national team matches, and only the last two games of the round of 12 last year were not played because the national football team was confirmed to be out.
In the national football selection team that participated in the East Asian Cup last July, Jiang Guangtai played the only naturalized player in the two matches against South Korea and Japan. In the past year, only Jiang Guangtai has maintained a stable playing time and competitive state among the naturalized players. In the future, the national football team will compete in the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup, and Jiang Guangtai will still be an indispensable core player in the defensive line.
In addition, Li Ke, who has been disappearing for the past year and a half due to injury, has finally recovered from his injury. After a long recovery after 3 surgeries, Li Ke has posted his training photos on social platforms, and said: It feels so good to recover and re-participate in training, and he is ready for the new season. Beijing Guoan is also very optimistic about Li Ke's prospects for renewing his contract. Li Ke's return is of great significance to the national football team to strengthen the midfield, and according to this newspaper, his condition is also very good. If he can maintain stable playing time and form in the Chinese Super League in the new season, he will become a core player that the national football midfield can rely on together with Jiang Guangtai.
Among the naturalized players on the offensive end, in addition to Axon, who has returned to the Chinese Super League, there is Allin, who plays for Fluminense in the Bundesliga. After joining Fluminense last summer, Alain was also not a regular in the team, and only got four substitute appearances and scored one goal in the last five rounds at the end of October, but he still maintained a high training form in the Ballia league. In the Rio State League earlier this year, Allan scored one goal in his first two games, and although he is still working hard in the main position, it should be no problem to return to the national football team in his form. Importantly, Alain has been in constant contact with the Ministry of State Management and has also expressed his desire to participate in the Asian Cup. For the national team, which has always lacked attacking power, the return of Axon and Allan is still quite valuable.
In the coming year, the main tournaments of the national football team will be the World Cup Asian Zone Round of 36, which starts in November, and the Asian Cup in January next year. Naturalized players are still an important part of the national football team that is currently in the stage of replacing the old and the new, which can not only enhance the strength of the national football team, but also help the national football team complete the transition. To some extent, next year's Asian Cup is likely to be the last match of Axon and Allan in the national football team, and Jiang Guangtai and Li Ke will continue to work hard for the national football team to enter the Asian round of 18 of the World Cup. For the national football team to play well in the round of 36 and the Asian Cup, the four naturalized players who still have hope to re-wear the national football shirt will be the key.
Unfortunately, among the other naturalized players, Xiao Taotao has returned to Peru to apply for the restoration of his original nationality, and Gaulart does not have the conditions to be played by the national football team. After returning to Brazil from his contract with Guangzhou at the end of 2021, Fernando has been unemployed for more than a year, and Hou Yongyong, who also had no chance to play in Beijing Guoan last year, has also returned to Norway, and the competitive status of the two is not guaranteed at all. Luo Guofu, who plays for América Minheiro, is also considering retiring at the end of this season, and the three naturalized players no longer have realistic conditions to return to the national team. The naturalization of Chinese football has gone through several years of twists and turns, and now there are still 4 players who can improve their strength, which can be regarded as the last residual heat for the national football team to tide over the trough.