Kungoli player changes his sporting nationality to represent China sports

In a surprising step, Congolese striker Oscar Maruto decided to change his sporting nationality to represent China at the international level.

This decision came after a bus career in the Chinese Premier League, where the player who is currently playing a attacker at Yunnan Yukon starred, and was able to attract the attention of Chinese officials, who saw in it a valuable addition to their national team.

“Africa Foot United” reported that Maruto, born in Kinshasa, played for several prominent clubs in China, and officially obtained Chinese citizenship after completing all legal and administrative requirements.

“I have been in China and I have lived here for a long time. I can also say that I have trained in the Chinese Professional League,” Maruto said during a recent press interview.

This step reflects China’s endeavor to strengthen its team with professional players from various backgrounds, as part of its efforts to develop national football.

This decision also highlights China’s policy of naturalizing foreign talents that have proven worth in the domestic league.

🎥 | Le but de Oscar Maritu face à qingdao!#Mobulute🐆 https://t.co/uwyarsknvz pic.twitter.com/uyzabtxvmd

– ng 🇨🇩 (@Nkoyigals) August 3, 2024

The representation of the Chinese national team

Maruto is available to represent the Chinese national team in the upcoming international competitions, and the player is expected to participate in the upcoming friendly matches in his integration stage with the new team.

The Media Congo website revealed that Maruto received an initial invitation to join the Chinese team’s training camp in preparation for the upcoming qualifiers.

The player is expected to add a great offensive force to the team, especially with his brilliance in the domestic league and his adaptation speed with the Chinese play style.

Chinese coach Branco Ivankovic also praised the level of Maroto, expressing his confidence in his ability to provide the required addition during the upcoming championships.

Different reactions

This decision sparked different reactions between the fans and followers, as some considered that this step reflects the openness of China to attract football talents, while others saw that the naturalization of players may limit the chances of local players to appear on the international scene.

This is not the first step.

This policy aims to enhance the team’s performance, especially in the centers that suffer from weak local talents, but the results were not greatly influencing, as the Chinese team still faces great challenges in the major championships despite attracting these names.