Ghana allow Pantsil to play

The club versus country row over Ghana's John Pantsil has ended with the country's FA allowing the Fulham star to play against Chelsea.

Pantsil, along with international teammates, Richard Kingston and John Mensah, were meant to join up with the Black Stars a day before the crucial Premier League clash but an agreement has been struck to allow the player to turn out for his club.

Pantsil will now play against Chelsea on December 28 before flying out to South Africa to join up with the rest of his squad for a training camp.

A Ghana FA insider told Ghanasoccernet: "We have reached a decent agreement for Pantsil to play in the Chelsea and immediately after the game he will fly to South Africa."

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson had previously threatened to prevent Pantsil from joining the squad at all.

"Fulham have expressed their contrition to their previous statement and we are reasonable people.

"We took into consideration the career of the player and out future relationship with the club."

The former West Ham player, Pantsil, was named Ghana's best footballer for 2008 over the weekend after beating off Inter Milan's Sulley Muntari and Egyptian league striker Eric Bekoe, who plays for Petrojet.