Dutch-born defender of Ghanaian descent Ernest Poku is currently not too certain about switching allegiance to play for the Black Stars ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, to be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Despite representing the Dutch at all youth levels, the 21-year-old, who joined the German outfit in the summer remains eligible to represent Ghana at the international level.
Speaking after his sie Bayer Leverkusen‘s Champions League clash against Newcastle United, the former AZ Alkmaar star disclosed he would have to consult his parents and agent before deciding his international future.
“We have to see, I don’t know yet. I didn’t get a call or something, so I don’t know. I don’t know, we’ll see then, because obviously I have to talk with my parents about it, with my agent about it. So, I don’t know,” Poku told Oma Akatugba in an interview.
Poku has represented the Dutch junior national teams at the U-16 and U-19 levels. In 2020, he played twice for the Netherlands’ U-16 national team.
He was included with the Dutch U-19 team in 2022 and scored his first goal for the Dutch U-19 team against Ukraine that same year.
Later, he was elevated to the Dutch U21 team. At the club level, he netted 15 times for the AZ youth team before earning promotion to the first team.
Poku joined Leverkusen for a reported €10 million with an extra €2 million in add-ons, penning a five-year deal with the club.
Since joining the club, the Dutch-Ghanaian attacker has established himself as a key member of the team, scoring five goals and delivering six assists in 25 appearances across competitions.
