May 11, (THEWILL) – Eddie Nketiah and Callum Hudson-Odoi may play in the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, but not for England, as the pair of English players are being courted by the Ghanaian Football authorities.
Nketiah, an Arsenal striker, is England’s all-time leading scorer at U-21 level, with 16 goals in 17 matches. However, unlike Hudson-Odoi, Nketiah never made the step up to the senior squad for England.
Hudson-Odoi, a winger for the blue side of London – Chelsea, has been capped three times by England’s senior national team. Since all of those appearances occurred before he turned 21, he is not yet committed to England under FIFA’s eligibility standards.
Nketiah, who is now 22, and Hudson-Odoi, were both born in London, but they both have Ghanaian ancestry, which is what the football association in the West African country is counting on to effect the swap of nationalities before the World Cup begins.
Knowing the quality that both players can bring to the national squad, Ghana has worked to convince them and they are reportedly set to swap their international allegiances from England to Ghana.
Ghana’s qualification for the global football fiesta, which begins in November, may have influenced their decision. THEWILL recalls that Ghana qualified for the World Cup after defeating Nigeria in a two-legged playoff in March, on the away goals’ rule.
For the preliminary stages of the Qatar World Cup, Ghana was drawn in Group H alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Luis Suarez’s Uruguay, and Son Heung-min’s South Korea for the World Cup.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
