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Samuel Yeboah to naturalize for Israel NT?

893 views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Crackedpleasures 
#1 ·
Hello,

There are some rumours on Ghanaweb saying that Samuel Yeboah may be asked to naturalize and play for Israel? Is there any truth in this? Cheers.
 
#2 ·
hmmmmm would be amazing if that is true!

But as others have tried, its between impossible or takes a long time...
 
#7 ·
I see you accidently put someone elses reply in my own post. No probs, accidents happen :) I basically said that I would welcome him as an asset because he is a great player, but that with naturalisations we always need to look if he has a heart for Israel or if he only looks for exposure in international tournaments. If the Israeli feeling is there, he is welcome I would say.

Also keep in mind, unless one can make Aliyah (is he jewish??) naturalisation can take a while. Look at Toto Tamuz, it took him long time to get citizenship even though he grew up in Israel. In case of Collautti it went smoothly though, but unless Aliyah is involved it can be a long term process to get Israeli citizenship.
 
#8 ·
I recall Giovanni Rosso, one of the best foreigners that played in Israel. He came from Croatia if i'm not mistaken in season in 1995 from Hajduk Split to Beer Sheva and build his entire career in the country. He never left Israel despite having some intresting offers to do so. He played until last season, meaning 13 years in Israel!! He speaks a pratically perfect hebrew and was very well adapted to the country, many still miss him around. He took more than 10 years to receive citinzenship and become an Israeli player. Rosso wanted to play for Israel, but Croatia coach called him to play Euro 2004 and only in 2006 he receive full citinzenship.
It would be strange if Yeboah received one right now.
 
#9 ·
In theory you qualify for Israeli citizenship
1) immediately if you are Jewish, have Jewish ancestry proven, or are partner of a Jew (the aliyah law)
2) after 3 years of residence in Israel in any other case

So 3 years should be enough to get the passport in theory. In pracrise bureaucracy makes it a bit more complicated and not everyone gets it done smoothly. Remember Toto Tamuz, and he had been living in Israel for 14 years already ... it still took him months and months of paperworks before he got citizenship.
 
#10 ·
Yes, the problem is that the citizenship issue (when not directed to the aliyah law you posted) is delicate for many sectores involved. First the sporting issue. Avi Luzon the IFA chairman is making some changes already and increased the number of teams in the league and is planning to reduce from 5 to 4 the number of foreigners for each team. His intention is to give young Israeli players the chance to develop themselves and get more playing time. (guess this is an european issue aswell, many of our U-21 or even lower NT plays on mid-table teams since in the big teams they don't have a chance to fight for a starting lineup). Wanting to give Israeli youngsters a chance means that they want to block a mass citizenship from these players.
Now linking to the political issue. In Israel we have many workers from southern Asia or even from Eastern Europe that are working in the country for several years now. If the government releases the citizenship for these players in short period of time, many of these workers will definitely make a fuss about it and demand it aswell. Than we would have a large crisis on the issue. That is why many players don't get it so fastly and many of them don't even like Israel, it is just to raise their career and slaries, but we have cases of players he really like Israel and identify with the country and those guys deserve the citizenship, for example, Giovanni Rosso, Murad Megamedov who is playing for Maccabi Petah Tikva and he came in the same time as Rosso. He is a legend over there. Also Maccabi Haifa Gustavo Boccoli, who speaks a very good hebrew and always says he owes a lot to the country who gave him everything and a warm welcome. He intends living in Israel after he retires.
 
#11 ·
......

Thanks for the replies.... We actually have a friendly game vs South Africa on Wednesday. I can't read all the Hebrew sites unfortunately and our FA often don't fully name squads prematch.... Do you you if Sam Yeboah has been called up for this Wednesday's game at all, Any Hapoel Tel Aviv supporters out there? Thanks in advance.
 
#12 ·
Israeli bureaucracy is like a huge wall you are bouncing against ... So it would surprise me if his Israeli ID would be ready to pick up and if he would be ready to play for Israel already. Some other players who naturalised needed several months before the procedure was completed, only Collautti had it more or less smoothly (but he is in a different situation as he married an Israeli citizen). If Yeboah indeed chooses to play for Israel, it can take another few months before he is really officially naturalised.
 
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