Ex-Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan says the players who have switched nationality for Ghana must not abandon the national team after the 2022 World Cup.
In June, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced that five new players have agreed to become Ghana internationals.
These were Spain-born Inaki Williams, England-born Tariq Lamptey, and Germany-born trio Patrick Pfeiffer, Stephan Ambrosius and Ransford Yeboah.
The timing of their nationality switches has, however, divided opinion among Ghanaians, with some describing them as opportunistic.
Gyan says while the new players are welcome, they must endeavour to stick around even after the World Cup.
“Sometimes we should forget about everything. Kevin-Prince Boateng when he came, it was a whole lot but he was able to deliver,” he said during the launch of the KGL U-17 inter-club champions league.
“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.”
He added: “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.”
Meanwhile, Gyan recently made the headlines after his interview with the BBC last month, where he compared his possible return to that of Roger Milla, who came out of retirement to play for Cameroon in the 1994 World Cup.
The 36-year-old was a regular fixture in the Black Stars for almost two decades, having made his international debut in 2003.
However, he has not featured for the national team since playing at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
In the last three years, Gyan has battled with niggling injuries while his time with Ghana Premier League outfit Legon Cities didn’t go according to plan.
Despite his inactivity, he insists he hasn’t retired and has opened his doors for a return to the Black Stars ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
Pulse
