Crystal Palace forward Eddie Nketiah
Crystal Palace forward Eddie Nketiah spoke for the first time following the controversy around his interest in playing for the Black Stars ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The former Arsenal star admitted his love for Ghana and explained they are better than a lot of African countries during a speech he delivered at the Best of Africa awards held in London.
The striker received an award for his growing impact on community.
“Ghana has a lot of amazing people and we have some talented artists, talented football players and talented people in general. I just think they are a bit better than a lot of African countries…,” he said after receiving his award.
Nketiah remains undecided despite making an appearance for England at senior level, and recently he was reported to have shown strong interest in playing for Ghana.
According to journalist, Saddick Adams of Angel FM, he spoke to the player’s family, who revealed he was ready to switch nationalities.
“Spoke to Eddie Nketiah’s family this weekend to get clarity on the stories about his switch. The source admitted that Eddie Nketiah had previously spoken to the Ghana coach and some GFA top officials but he had not settled at his club yet so couldn’t make a decision,” he wrote on X.
“However, Nketiah is now settled and at 26, matured enough and ready to “give his very best” if Ghana calls now. Says he has Ghana blood running through him so his “identity is unquestionable”. Basically, he’s open to playing for Ghana now.”
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian FA have stated their stand against players who previously rejected an approach to play for the Black Stars, ruling out Nketiah’s desire to represent his African roots.
“Players who have not shown enough commitment to the Ghanaian flag will not be part of us,” said GFA president Kurt Okraku on 3 Sports.
Nketiah featured for Crystal Palace as they eliminated Liverpool from the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening.
Eddie Nketiah is not giving up😳. He speaks Twi rates & Ghanaians over all other Africans. 🇬🇭 ⚽️#BlackStars #WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/eaaVeJW35a
— Ibrahim Sannie Daara (@SannieDaara) October 29, 2025
