Former Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng has argued that inviting Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah to the Black Stars will not benefit the team and could rather create problems within the squad.
Boateng shared his views during a discussion with Sporty fm on the ongoing debate about whether players who did not feature in Ghana’s qualifiers should be invited to the national team.
He stated that he did not think it was fair for players who failed to commit during qualification matches to be called up later, especially when others had worked hard throughout the campaign.
According to him, such decisions could hurt team unity and morale, stressing that football at the national level depended heavily on fairness and collective effort.
Boateng recalled an incident from his time with the national team to support his argument.
He explained that when the team travelled for an African qualifier, former Black Stars player Kevin-Prince Boateng was invited but failed to show up.
However, when the team later prepared to play a friendly match in England, the player appeared at the hotel and wanted to join the squad.
He noted that the technical team and players at the time insisted that Kevin-Prince Boateng leave the camp, explaining that it was unacceptable for a player to skip important qualifiers and then show up only for high-profile matches.
Boateng stressed that the same principle should apply now, insisting that Hudson-Odoi and Nketiah should not be invited because it would be unfair to players who featured in the qualifiers.
When asked whether the two England-based players would add anything positive to the team if invited, the former midfielder was emphatic that they would not.
He warned that bringing them in could create tension and division within the squad, as players who worked hard to qualify might feel sidelined and lose motivation.
Boateng explained that football was about teamwork and trust, and introducing players who did not take part in the qualification process could lead to resentment among teammates.
He, however, clarified that he did not entirely blame Hudson-Odoi and Nketiah for not playing for Ghana earlier, noting that there was a lack of proper engagement and support for them at the beginning of their international careers.
Despite this, Boateng maintained that the interest of the team should come first, adding that inviting the two players now would do more harm than good for the Black Stars.
By: Jacob Aggrey
