Kelvin Yeboah set to reject Black Stars call-up as he earns Italy U-21 call up

In-form new Ghana striker Kelvin Yeboah is on the verge of snubbing the Black Stars to play for the junior national team of Italy after he was named in the European country’s U21 squad on Friday.

The 21-year-old, who was born in Accra and the nephew of Ghana legend Anthony Yeboah, was last week named in the Ghana squad for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Ethiopia next month.

It was his first call-up to the Black Stars squad as part of the new generation of players being injected into the Ghana national team by coach Charles Kwablan Akonnor.

However, the striker was handed a call up by the Italy U-21 national team coach Paolo Nicolato.

This means the Italians have spoken to the striker about his availability for the Italian U21, knowing that he had already been called by the Black Stars.

Coach Paolo Nicolato included the Ghana-born to his team for the games against Luxemburg and Montenegro for the international break.

The list released by the manager on the Italian football federation website has the Ghanaian named among the attackers.

The latest development means the Sturm Graz attacker will have to make a decision between Ghana and Italy.

With the Italian calling him one week after Ghana named their squad it is most likely that Yeboah has taken the decision to play for the Europeans instead of the Ghanaians.

The Italians will qualify for the 2023 European Under-21 Championship against Montenegro and Luxembourg.

Yeboah’s uncle, Anthony Yeboah, played for the Ghanaian national team and scored 26 goals in 59 games.

Below is the list by Paolo Nicolato:

Squad List

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Cremonese), Alessandro Plizzari (AC Milan), Alessandro Russo (Alessandria);

Defenders: Raoul Bellanova (Girondins de Bordeaux), Riccardo Calafiori (Roma), Andrea Carboni (Cagliari), Gabriele Ferrarini (Perugia), Antonino Gallo (Lecce), Matteo Lovato (Atalanta), Caleb Okoli (Cremonese), Andrea Papetti (Brescia), Lorenzo Pirola (Monza), Iyenoma Destiny Udogie (Udinese);

Midfielders: Marco Brescianini (Monza), Jacopo Da Riva (Spal), Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus), Filippo Ranocchia (Juventus), Samuele Ricci (Empoli), Nicolò Rovella (Genoa), Sandro Tonali (AC Milan);

Forwards: Matteo Cancellieri (Hellas Verona), Lorenzo Colombo (Spal), Sebastiano Esposito (Basel 1893), Roberto Piccoli (Atalanta), Emanuel Vignato (Bologna), Kelvin Yeboah (Sportklub Sturm Graz).

-Ghanasoccernet