Former Ghana Football Association Vice President George Afriyie has raised concerns over the fairness of player selections ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, questioning whether footballers who helped Ghana secure qualification are being treated justly.
Speaking to Graphic Sports, Afriyie emphasized that places in the Black Stars squad must be earned strictly on merit, insisting that no player should be guaranteed a permanent spot in the national team.
His comments come amid reports that European-born players, including Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah, could switch allegiance to Ghana, potentially increasing competition for limited squad positions.
Afriyie noted that although Ghana used 46 players during the World Cup qualifying campaign, only 26 will be selected for the final tournament squad to be submitted before the deadline.
“Not all the players who featured in the qualifiers will make the World Cup squad. Are we also being fair to those who helped during qualification but won’t be part of the final list?” he questioned, while maintaining that coaches must retain the freedom to select players they believe best serve the team.
Ghana, set for their fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup, have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England, and Croatia.
The Black Stars will open their campaign against Panama on June 17 before facing England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27. Preparations include friendly matches against Austria and Germany in March, followed by a final warm-up game against Mexico in May, with the team set to base its camp at Bryant University in the United States throughout the tournament.
