By: Kwame Bediako
Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has expressed readiness to support the inclusion of Eddie Nketiah and Callum Hudson-Odoi in Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars, while affirming that the final decision lies with the technical team and coaching staff.
Adams’ comments come amid growing speculation about the two England youth internationals potentially switching allegiance to Ghana.
Rumors in the last few days have intensified that Nketiah, currently at Crystal Palace, and Hudson-Odoi, of Nottingham Forest, may join the Black Stars setup. Both players have represented England at youth levels but are reportedly open to playing for Ghana at senior level.
Speaking on Asempa FM, Adams emphasized that every talented Ghanaian player has the chance to feature for the World Cup team, regardless of whether they played during qualification.
“Every Ghanaian who knows how to play has the opportunity to go to the World Cup if the coach decides that he wants.It doesn’t matter if the player was part of the team during the qualifiers or not”; he said.
He also mentioned other names like Baba Rahman, stressing that the coach will have the final say on player selections. Adams highlighted that discrimination based on past involvement will not play a role in the team-building process.
“I have heard that other people want to talk to get Baba Rahman back to the team, so the coach will decide whether to bring the player. Maybe they were looking elsewhere, but we will not discriminate on the day the player played during the qualifiers or not”; he mentioned.
The minister recalled his own behind-the-scenes efforts to strengthen the national team by helping bring in players from various backgrounds, including those affiliated with opposition political groups.
“That is my responsibility, and if I am contacted to help, I will. Even some of the players playing now, I did some background work to get them to the national team. It’s not about my party people but even people in opposition, I talked to them just to bring them to the national team, so whoever they want to bring in, I will be there to assist”; he added.
Following their qualification secured by a narrow 1-0 win over Comoros, thanks to Mohammed Kudus’ goal, the Black Stars will now turn their attention fully to preparing for the 2026 World Cup.
After a group-stage exit in Qatar, Ghana aims to progress further next year, with the official tournament draw scheduled for December 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
