With the Chinese men's national team gearing up for their upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Maldives, recently naturalized footballer Elkeson joined the squad for training on Monday. The Guangzhou Evergrande striker has recently become the first-ever foreign-born footballer to qualify for the PRC national team without having any Chinese ancestry or lineage. Elkeson marked his attendance as coach Marcello Lippi led China to their second phase of preparation on Monday in Xianghe in Hebei Province. 

After attending the Chinese national team’s practice session, Elkeson said, “Today is a special day for me. I woke up around 4:30 in the morning because I was kind of anxious about seeing my teammates and coaches in the national team. Today is really special, and I hope I'm able to help my national team achieve a good result in the future.” 

26 players have been called up for the training camp even though the final squad will consist of 23 footballers. Meanwhile, Wu Lei, who has been playing with Spanish La Liga side Espanyol, will reunite with the national team today (Tuesday). He is expected to form a frontline pairing with Elkeson. Lippi’s men will stay in Xianghe for six days before heading to Maldives for the World Cup qualifier, which is scheduled to be held on September 10.