Asamoah to play for Ghana not Germany

DUROSIMI THOMAS, ACCRA

GHANA (goalnetwork) ?- Striker Gerald Asamoah has changed his mind about playing for Germany and will join Ghana?s 2002 World Cup campaign.

Asamoah revealed the news to a delighted Ghana FA boss Alhaji Jawula at a meeting in Accra. Jawula said: "Asamoah made the decision without any hesitation. The GFA did not force him to play for the Black Stars and I am delighted the national team will have a player of his calibre for our World Cup campaign."

Until recently, Asamoah had been torn between playing for the Black Stars and Germany. The Schalke forward started processing naturalisation documents during the last few months to enable him play for Germany.

Ghana's Italian coach, Giuseppe Dossena has invited Asamoah to the national team?s training camps on previous occasions, but the Bundesliga striker has yet to win a place in the starting line-up.

Asamoah was determined to pursue his naturalisation plans with Germany after Dossena left him out of his squad for the African Nations Cup finals.

Now Dossena has welcomed him to the Black Stars as part of their desperate rebuilding efforts, following the refusal of veterans Abedi Pele and Anthony Yeboah to rejoin the squad.

Ghana face Nigeria, their West African arch-rivals, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Sudan in World Cup qualifying group B. A largely home-based side will play a friendly against Egypt tomorrow in Cairo.