WCQ: Ghana names squad to face Nigeria

Ghana national team interim head coach Otto Addo has announced his squad list for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification play-off against Nigeria this week.

The list which was released on Tuesday morning, three days to the first leg of the crucial tie has only one local based player in Hearts of Oak defender Dennis Nkrumah-Korsah.

Nkrumah-Korsah has been named in the Black Stars squad for the very first time while his team mate Richard Attah who was present at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon has been dropped.

Belgium-born defender Denis Odoi is a surprise inclusion in Addo’s list to face the Super Eagles. The 33-year-old who currently plays Club Brugge has previously represented Belgium at the junior and senior levels.

The former Fulham star was born in Belgium to a Belgian mother and a Ghanaian father making him eligible to represent the West African country.

Odoi was called up to the Belgium’s senior team for the first time in February 2011 but did not play for the rest of the year.

He made his senior Belgian debut on 25 May 2012, starting the whole game, in a 2–2 draw against Montenegro.

Also in the squad is midfielder Elisha Owusu who is a France-born but has yet to represent the European nation at any level.

He is a youth product of Olympique Lyon joining in 2010 and became the captain of their reserve side.

The 24-year-old is currently plying trade at Belgium Jupiler Pro League side KAA Gent where he has made 28 appearances in all competitions this season.

AS Roma wonderkid Felix Afena-Gyan is also named in the squad for the crunchy West African derby which will see either Ghana or Nigeria miss out at the Mundial in Qatar later this year.

Afena-Gyan rejected initial call-ups to the Black Stars team for the AFCON tournament in Cameroon. The 19-year-old has joined the Ghana camp for the two-legged games.

Germany based Christopher Antwi-Adjei is making a return to the squad since his debut in the shirt in 2019 during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifications.

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Richard Ofori is also returning to the team after a lengthy layoff which saw him miss the AFCON tournament in Cameroon and also in the previous World Cup qualifying matches.

The first leg of the crucial tie will take place at the Babayara Stadium in Kumasi on Friday, March 25, 2022 while the second leg comes off at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja four days later.

Ghana are keen on securing one of the five African spots at the World Cup in Qatar having missed the last edition in Russia in 2018.