Ghana coach Chris Hughton provides fresh update on Hudson-Odoi, Eddie Nketiah’s nationality switch

Chris Hughton, the Head Coach of the Black Stars, has provided an update on the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) pursuit of Ghanaian players born abroad to represent the national team.

In recent times, the GFA has successfully convinced several Ghanaian players born abroad, such as Dennis Odoi, Inaki Williams, Antoine Semenyo, Elisha Owusu, and Tariq Lamptey, to feature for the Black Stars. Reports suggest that the FA is actively seeking to bring more players of similar background into the fold, including Eddie Nketiah, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Grejohn Kyei, Brandon Thomas-Asante, among others.

During a media interaction ahead of Ghana’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Madagascar, Hughton was asked about the latest developments regarding the situation.

He responded, “What I can tell you is that we are monitoring all of these players and what I actually did say is that it’s not about consistency is that. It is not so important for me to have the same squad every camp but what I did say is that it’s important for me to have the balance,” Hughton told the press.

Hughton acknowledged the challenge of changing five or six players in each camp, as there are also players who have decided to explore other options to represent the Black Stars. He emphasized the importance of achieving the right balance within the squad. However, he assured the press that they maintain a comprehensive list of eligible players and make the best efforts to track them.

“What is difficult to do is that I can’t change five or six players every camp, because there are also players that decided when they had other options to play for the Black Stars. So I have to get the right balance, but I can tell you all that we have a date list of players that are eligible and we track them the best way that we can,” he added.

Hughton is currently preparing his team for the AFCON qualifier against Madagascar, scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at the Stade Kianja Barea in Antananarivo.

A victory in this match will secure a spot for Hughton and his team in the 2023 AFCON, set to be held in Cote d’Ivoire next year.