Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association, George Afriyie, has insisted that selection into the Black Stars must remain purely merit-based, stressing that no footballer has an automatic right to a place in the national team.
His remarks come amid reports linking European-born players such as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah with potential nationality switches to represent Ghana after previously turning down invitations.
Speaking to Graphic Sports, Afriyie maintained that the Black Stars jersey should be earned, not reserved.
“Nobody is a permanent member of the Black Stars,” he said. “The national team exists so that whenever a coach believes a player can contribute positively, he should have the freedom to select him without any hindrance.”
He also pointed to the reality of squad limitations ahead of the FIFA World Cup, noting that although Ghana used 46 players during 10 qualifying matches, only 26 can be included in the final squad to be submitted by June 1.
“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.
Ghana, preparing for their fifth World Cup appearance, have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England, and Croatia.
The Black Stars will begin their campaign against Panama on June 17, face England on June 23, and wrap up their group-stage fixtures against Croatia on June 27.
As part of preparations, the team will regroup in March for international friendlies against Austria and Germany, before concluding their warm-up schedule with a clash against Mexico in May. The GFA has confirmed that Ghana will camp at Bryant University in the United States for the duration of the tournament.
