Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Vice President George Afriyie has called for the inclusion of England-born forwards Eddie Nketiah and Callum Hudson-Odoi in the Black Stars squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Both players, who previously declined call-ups, have now reportedly expressed readiness to switch allegiance to Ghana, joining a growing number of European-born talents considering the move.
Their decisions have sparked debate, but Afriyie pointed to Ghana’s standout performance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a precedent.
That year, Kevin-Prince Boateng, who was drafted into the squad shortly before the tournament, played a pivotal role in the Black Stars’ run to the quarter-finals in South Africa.
“A difficult Kevin-Prince Boateng was even managed, and all the talk that we did well in 2010 when we nearly reached the semi-final was because we had a certain Kevin-Prince Boateng. He played a role,” he told Graphic Sports.
“You may talk about the negatives, but our best performance and best outing as far as the World Cup is concerned was when Boateng was included; that’s a fact,” he added.
Ghana, making its fifth appearance at football’s biggest stage, has been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia.
The Black Stars will open their campaign against Panama on June 17, face England on June 23, and conclude their group fixtures against Croatia on June 27.
Ahead of the tournament, the team is set to regroup in March for friendly matches against Austria and Germany, before wrapping up preparations with a game against Mexico in May.
Meanwhile, the GFA has confirmed that the squad will be based at Bryant University in the United States throughout the World Cup.
