Otto Addo addresses potential Black Stars call-ups for Odoi, Nketiah, and others

Black Stars coach Otto Addo, has stated that players born to Ghanaian parents in Europe will be assessed based on their performance and commitment before receiving a call-up to join the national team.

Recent reports indicate that English players of Ghanaian descent, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah after rejecting several invitations are now willing to switch their national allegiance to play for the Black Stars.

The news has sparked criticisms from some football fans, who recall that these players previously declined opportunities to represent Ghana.

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Addressing the issue of dual-nationality players wanting to join the Black Stars, Otto Addo emphasised that each case will be evaluated at the appropriate time, with performance and commitment being a key criteria.

The former Borussia Dortmund scout stressed that any call-up will be based on genuine dedication to the national team, in order to uphold the pride and unity of the squad.

“It’s a different thing if we haven’t approached you and now you want to come, versus if we’ve been approaching you all along and you said no. But now, because we’re at the World Cup, you want to come. I think Ghana should always have a certain pride as a country,” he said.

“I think we need to evaluate each player and check their commitment, which is very, very crucial. We have a strong unity and definitely don’t want to disrupt that by bringing in players who lack commitment. So commitment has to come first. Then, if anyone shows in the next six, seven, eight months—through performance and genuine desire—that they want to play for Ghana, we are always open,” he said during an interview with TV3.

Watch Otto Addo‘s remarks below:

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Meanwhile, watch highlights of Ghana’s 1-0 win over Comoros in the World Cup qualifiers