Former Germany U19 international Dennis Eckert Ayensa will not make his senior debut for Iran on Friday, March 27 when they take on the Super Eagles in a friendly in Turkey.

Born in Bonn to to a German father of Iranian origin and a Galician mother, Eckert is eligible to represent the national teams of Germany, Spain and Iran, but has committed his international future to the Asian country.

According to the Iranian Broadcasting Agency, administrative issues and the absence of Fifa approval have prevented the Iranian-Spanish-German striker from featuring in the friendly matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica. 

The Iranian Football Federation stated at the time of the squad announcement that Eckert will be officially cleared to represent the national team once he secures the required Fifa approvals.

Eckert has not represented Germany at any level since November 2015 when he featured in a friendly against Serbia U19s.

Ahead of tomorrow's friendly, the Standard Liege forward was assessed by Team Melli coach Amir Ghalenoei, who will be unable to include the 29-year-old in the matchday squad.

If he impresses the coaching staff during the training camp in Antalya, Ghalenoei could reward him with another call‑up ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel