Diego Cocca confirms active efforts to recruit Alejandro Zendejas
Mexican national team head coach Diego Cocca confirmed he’s actively looking to recruit dual-nationality figure Alejandro Zendejas.
The Club America player is eligible to feature for both national teams, having been born in Mexico but raised in the United States. He originally kicked off with the US youth national team, before going on to feature in two friendlies with El Tri.
After several inquiries and an investigation by FIFA, Mexico was forced to forfeit both of the friendlies Zendejas was involved in due to the lack of proper documentation. Zendejas is technically cap-tied to the USMNT, and must file FIFA’s one time switch to officially represent Mexico.
Despite active efforts, Zendejas remains undecided.
“I’ve spoken with [Zendejas] personally two times,” Cocca said when announcing the 34-player roster for the upcoming Nations League matches in March.
“First, I wanted to tell him that our intention is to have him with us. And second, I wanted to make clear that today he is not eligible because he has to sign a document to be with the Mexico national team. It’s his decision and we’ll give him time to make his decision.”
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The winger most recently featured for the USMNT in January, earning his first senior call under interim manager Anthony Hudson in a friendly vs. Serbia. Should Zendejas be included in the American side’s Nations League roster, he would be permanently tied to the United States.
Though he has a couple of weeks to make the decision, time is ticking.