Ghana assistant coach 2 Mas-Ud Dramani has dismissed the notion that foreign-born stars have switched their nationalities to play for the Black Stars because of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The soft-spoken 56-year-old has been speaking to Asempa FM’s Enoch Worlanyo on the SportsNite show on Monday.
Reacting to a popular perception among Ghanaian fans and journalists on the recent nationality switches announcement by the Ghana FA, the former Asante Kotoko head coach has insisted players have not switched their nationalities basically because of the FIFA World Cup.
Spain-born Inaki Williams and Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey are among announcements made by the Ghana FA with the FIFA World Cup looming.
Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi is also expected to complete his nationality switch by the end of October 2022 to make him available for selection to the Ghana technical team.
Dramani has sharply dismissed the popular perception among Ghanaians.
“Sometimes we think that players who are switching nationality are only doing so because of the World Cup. That is not what it is,” he told Worlanyo on Asempa FM.
He further explained the rationale behind the move by the Ghana FA.
“It is a culture that we are starting to make sure that now players who didn’t have the opportunity of playing in our youth teams or were born outside Ghana but are Ghanaians and can ably defend that they are Ghanaians just like you saw Tariq Lamptey and Inaki Williams.
We see it beyond the World Cup. There are very young ones who are coming in now but they are for the future. We are not doing it just because want players to get to the World Cup.”