He said at the time: "I'm from Ghana. It didn't even seem thinkable that I'd play for Germany."
Some players have gone the other way.
Spot the German in the Ghana squad -- step forward Otto Addo. The Hamburg-born midfielder has become a fixture with the Black Stars of Africa.
Owen Hargreaves also could have played for Germany. He had a choice of whom to represent at international level, and that highly vocal minority of England fans who boo him whenever he comes on as a substitute wish he had chosen Germany or even Canada.
No one in Ivory Coast, however, wishes Didier Drogba -- born in the Ivory Coast but a potential France recruit -- had chosen to wait for the call from the French instead of playing for the Africans.
"It was a natural decision for me. It was not difficult to choose. I feel Ivorian in my heart," the Chelsea striker says.
Whether the "samba sumo" Alex feels Japanese in his heart is another matter. But hey, who cares. Certainly not the Asian women follow him around screaming his name.
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