Minister in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, is urging that diaspora players with “greater ability” be considered for selection ahead of the 2026 World Cup, regardless of having previously turned down Ghana.
Black Stars’ qualification for the global tournament has reignited conversations around whether the technical team should widen their selection pool to include foreign-born players who did not feature in the qualifiers.
Names such as Crystal Palace striker Eddie Nketiah, Nottingham Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Grêmio forward Francis Amuzu have reportedly made themselves available for selection ahead of next year’s tournament.
Others, including Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro of AZ Alkmaar, Jayden Addai of Como, and Chelsea’s Josh Acheampong, have also been linked with potential switches to represent Ghana.
However, Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku recently stressed that players who previously showed “a lack of respect” toward national call-ups will not be considered for selection.
Speaking in Parliament, Felix urged caution in handling the matter and encouraged merit-based inclusion for players capable of strengthening the squad.
“It is true that there were some players who rebuffed our entreaties in the past because perhaps they were hedging to see if nations who have a higher profile in international football would give them a call.”
“In the areas where we are weak, if there are players who have shown greater ability than the current players we have, we consider them, based on merit.
“If we are not careful and we act out of emotion, we may make mistakes that will come back to haunt us.”
The draw for the World Cup will be held on December 5 in Washington, where Ghana will learn their group-stage opponents.