Nobody has a permanent stay in Black Stars – Ex-GFA Veep George Afriyie

Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Vice President George Afriyie has emphasised that no player holds a permanent place in the Black Stars squad.

His comments follow reports that European-born talents, including Nottingham Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi and Crystal Palace forward Eddie Nketiah, are considering switching allegiance to Ghana after previously declining call-ups.

Ghana utilised 46 players across 10 World Cup qualifying matches, but only 26 will make the final squad, which must be submitted by 1 June.

“Nobody is a permanent member of the Black Stars. The national team is there so that anytime a coach feels this player can help the cause of the Black Stars, he must go for him and nothing must stop him,” Afriyie told Graphic Sports.

“Not all the players who played in the qualifiers can play in the World Cup, so are we also being fair to those players who played during the qualifiers but won’t be part of the World Cup?" he quizzed.

The Black Stars, making their fifth World Cup appearance, have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England, and Croatia.

Ghana will open its campaign against Panama on 17 June, face England on 23 June, and conclude group matches against Croatia on 27 June.

As part of preparations, the squad will regroup in March for friendlies against Austria and Germany, and will wrap up with a match against Mexico in May. The GFA confirmed that the team will be based at Bryant University in the United States throughout the tournament.