Photo Credit: HSV
Former German youth international Davie Selke might still have the chance to represent Ethiopia.
The 29 years old forward previously turned out for German Olympic side and the youth national teams. He was expected to make his senior German debut but untimely injuries he sustained closed that chapter for him. Selke won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics where he scored a goal and his last involvement with German national teams was as a member of the under-21 team that won the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Poland.
Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) foreign players chief scout David Besha told Pan-Africa Football that he managed to talk to his agent and he may be open to play for Ethiopia. “I spoke to his agent two years ago. At that time he was still playing for Koln. He said the door is not yet shut but he wants us to sort out the legality issue first.”
Ethiopia doesn't allow dual citizenship and players with Ethiopian heritage often find it difficult to navigate the legal issue to represent the country in the Horn of Africa. David noted he is not sure if Selke is interested to play for Ethiopia. “I can not tell if he is interested or not to be honest. He didn’t say no. I know that he has been approached by the Czech Republic national team and he declined it. But let’s see. After we sort out the passport issue we can do something about it.”
Selke now plays for Bundesliga 2 side Hamburger as he bagged six goals during the campaign. The former youth international played for Werder Bremen, RB Leipzig, Hertha Berlin and Koln in the Bundesliga. He was born in Germany to an Ethiopian father and Czech mother.
Selke’s father Teddy recently opened a football academy in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia lacks a potent striker and the likes of Selke might be the solution if the legal process goes as planned.
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