Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has advised players who have switched to play for Ghana to make themselves readily available after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
In June of this year, five foreign-based players of Ghanaian descent switched nationalities to play for Ghana, eliciting mixed reactions from Ghanaians.
Five players switched nationalities: Patric Pfeiffer, Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer, Inaki Williams, Stephan Ambrosius, and Tariq Lamptey, while Mohammed Salisu committed to play for Ghana.
Some Ghanaians have speculated that these players chose to represent Ghana due to the country's World Cup qualification.
Speaking on the sidelines of the KGL U-17 inter-club champions league launch in Kumasi, Asamoah Gyan, who has scored a record 51 goals for the senior national team, welcomed the players’ decision to play for Ghana.
“Sometimes we should forget about everything. Kevin-Prince Boateng when he came, it was a whole lot but he was able to deliver.
“Football-wise, those who have come in are great players, Tariq Lamptey and those guys are very good players and they can also put something into the national team,” said Gyan.
Asamoah Gyan however advised the players to be fully committed to the national team after the global tournament in Qatar.
“My advice to those guys is, we are here to support them but my question is what next?
“They should not come and play because of the world cup and afterwards, they decide to decline subsequent invitations.
“Once you have naturalized for Ghana, you should be fully committed to the national team.
“After the [world cup], they should still be available because this is a national team which does not engage in one tournament,” he said.
The Black Stars of Ghana will face Brazil on September 23 in Le Havre, France before taking on Nicaragua in Spain four days later.