Naturalized Chinese striker Elkeson celebrates scoring in the World Cup qualifying match against the Maldives on September 10 in Male, the Maldives. Photo: IC

The Chinese Football Association marked celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China with a music video. In it, Chinese footballers from the men's and women's national sides sing the patriotic "Me and My Motherland" and while that seems in keeping with previous anniversaries, there are signs within it of Chinese football's dramatic recent change. 

Beijing Guoan midfielder Nico Yennaris, known as Li Ke in China, appears with his national teammates to sing the song. Yennaris, who was born in London, sings along with them in Putonghua. The former Arsenal and Brentford player became the first naturalized footballer to represent China at football when he made his debut in June. 

After that game, national team manager Marcello Lippi was coy about the prospect of more naturalized footballers following Yennaris into the team. "It is better for you to ask the Chinese FA, but I hope more quality players, especially good strikers, could join the team," the Italian said at the time. 

As we now know, Lippi's hopes were fulfilled as Elkeson - now known as Ai Kesen in China - swapped his Brazilian passport for Chinese citizenship, making his debut for China against the Maldives as World Cup qualifying got underway. China's first footballer naturalized on residency rather than because of having Chinese ancestry like Yennaris also shows up in "Me and My Motherland," although he does not pick up a microphone. 

Perhaps Elkeson's Putonghua skills will have picked up enough for him to sing along for the 71st anniversary video next year. The chances are that there will be more foreign faces in the squad by then.

At the training camp ahead of the Maldives game, Lippi made it clear that he is willing to pick anyone who is eligible to represent China and the search would go on to naturalize players based on their family ties to China or fulfilling FIFA's residency requirements. 

There are many more players overseas who could be eligible, Lippi told reporters, and he would be considering them all as he looks to build the strongest possible squad to help the country qualify for its second World Cup finals appearance. So who is set to follow?

Tyias Browning - Guangzhou Evergrande

Chinese media confirmed that England-born central defender Browning has renounced his UK citizenship and been granted a Chinese passport. The 25-year-old's Chinese name is reported to be Jiang Guangtai. Browning is awaiting FIFA approval to be cleared to play for China but the former England under-21 international is expected to be given the nod. The Everton academy graduate, who made his debut for the side in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool in 2014, has played four times for Fabio Cannavaro this season.

Roberto Siucho - Shanghai Shenxin

Like Browning, the Peruvian signed for Guangzhou Evergrande in the winter and he too qualifies for naturalization based on a grandparent with Siucho's emigrating to Peru in the 1930s. The attacking midfielder has represented his birth nation at youth level all the way up to under-20. He has spent all of this season at struggling Shenxin in the second-tier League One, where he has not featured regularly, but is expected to return to his parent club when the Chinese citizenship he reportedly applied for in August comes through.

Alex Teixeira - Jiangsu Suning

The Brazilian joined the Chinese Super League side in 2016 and will be eligible to apply for Chinese citizenship after he has completed five years of residency in 2021. While Teixeira has played for Brazil at under-17 and under-20 level he has never received a call-up to the full national team. Presuming that he does not in the meantime, the former Shakhtar Donetsk forward, who has been linked with a move to Jiangsu's sister side Inter Milan in Italy in recent seasons, may follow the trail blazed by his compatriot Elkeson.  Teixeira will be 31 in January 2021.

Ricardo Goulart - Guangzhou Evergrande

It looked like Goulart's naturalization would be next in line when he was brought back from his loan deal to Brazilian side Palmeiras in the summer transfer window. Goulart had joined Evergrande in 2015 and helped the club to the Chinese Super League and AFC Champions League double in that first season. He remained first choice at Tianhe Stadium until his brief return to Brazil but has now returned to China and renounced his Brazilian citizenship. The 28-year-old will become eligible to represent China during the World Cup qualifiers after the turn of the year.

Alan Carvalho - Tianjin Tianhai

Another Brazilian and another Evergrande-owned player - he is currently on loan to the Tianjin side - the 30-year-old has reportedly handed in his Brazilian citizenship and is awaiting naturalization as a Chinese citizen. Alan was the star of the show for Guangzhou at the start of last season but fell out of a favor after an extended ban coincided with the return of Paulinho and arrival of Anderson Talisca in the foreigner spots. Once the former RB Salzburg man becomes Chinese that will no longer matter and he will also be in line for an international debut after his five-year anniversary in 2020. 

Fernandinho - Hebei China Fortune

The winger arrived at Chongqing Lifan in 2015, at first on loan before making the deal permanent the following season. At 26, he is younger than most of the other players who are becoming eligible for China through residency, and will reach that in 2020. He left Chongging for Hebei during the summer transfer window, although it is widely believed that he has in fact joined Guangzhou Evergrande and has been loaned to the North China side. It is also reported that the Brazil-born footballer has begun the paperwork to become Chinese.

Aloisio - Guangdong Southern Tigers

Elkeson was not the only free-scoring Brazilian striker to join Evergrande in the summer, with the former Chinese Super League golden boot Aloisio also reported to have signed for the club. The 31-year-old is at League One side Guangdong Southern Tigers as his rationalization is processed but has shown his eye for goal in the top flight with both Shandong Luneng and Hebei China Fortune since arriving in 2014. Will he get a chance to do the same for Lippi's China side?