Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association, George Afriyie, has stated that no footballer has a permanent place in the Black Stars, stressing that selection into the national team must always be based on performance and the needs of the coach.
His comments come amid reports that foreign-born players, including Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest and Eddie Nketiah of Crystal Palace, are considering switching nationality to represent Ghana after previously turning down invitations to play for the Black Stars.
George Afriyie explained that the national team belongs to the country and not to individual players, therefore coaches must be free to invite any player who can improve the team. He noted that several players who featured in the qualifiers may not make the final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and that situation should be accepted as part of football.
According to him, Ghana used many players during the qualifying matches, but only a limited number will be selected for the final tournament, making competition for places unavoidable. He added that fairness must be applied to all players, whether they played during the qualifiers or are newly invited to the team.
The Black Stars have been drawn in a difficult group alongside England national football team, Croatia national football team, and Panama national football team, and will open their campaign against Panama before facing England and Croatia in the group stage.
As part of preparations, the team is expected to play friendly matches against Austria national football team and Germany national football team, before a final warm-up game against Mexico national football team ahead of the tournament. Officials say proper preparation and fair selection will be key to Ghana’s performance at the World Cup.
