Former Netherlands youth international Quincy Owusu Abeyie has formally applied to Fifa to be allowed to play for Ghana, the Ghana football association said yesterday.

Former Netherlands youth international Quincy Owusu Abeyie has formally applied to Fifa to be allowed to play for Ghana, the Ghana football association said yesterday.

The Spartak Moscow striker was born in the Netherlands but has dual nationality. Owusu Abeyie has been approached by Ghana to bolster their squad as they prepare for hosting next year's African Cup of Nations.

The former Arsenal forward, who played for the Dutch Under-20 team when they hosted the 2005 World Youth Championships, turned 21 last month, the deadline for any player seeking to change his status.

It was not clear whether Owusu Abeyie's application to Fifa was submitted before April 15, the date of his 21st birthday. Owusu Abeyie is one of seven cases Fifa are to rule on in "due course", a Fifa spokesman said.

Morocco are seeking to obtain the services of former Norway international Karim Aoudia and Abdenour Amachaibou, the Borussia Dortmund teenager who has played at Under-19 level for Germany.

Congo are seeking to use Lucien Abbey, who has previously represented French youth teams, although Abbey is already 22-years-old.

A change in Fifa statutes three years ago allowed players who had represented one country at junior level to play for another if they had dual nationality and were under 21- Reuters