As both Nigeria and Ghana continue to pile up weapons for the two-legged World Cup play-off next month, Ghana has suffered a big blow in their quest to make Chelsea winger, Callum Hudson-Odoi, to switch nationality from England.
Nigeria last week succeeded in getting Leicester’s winger and former England junior international, Ademola Lookman to switch nationality and add up to Nigeria’s ‘arms pile-up’ ahead of the likely volatile confrontation.
Various sources in Ghana reveal that all efforts to make Hudson-Odoi to bulge have failed. Such include efforts by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who last year commissioned the Minister of Youth and Sports and the Ghana Football Association to convince Hudson-Odoi to play for the country.
Hudson-Odoi is leaving his option wide opened as he ponders on playing for England or Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
When quizzed by UK’s Evening Standard after Chelsea’s triumph in the FIFA Club World Cup over the weekend, Hudson-Odoi said, “I don’t know. At the end of the day, we will wait until that time comes. At the same time, I’ve just got to focus on the club until we get that far.
Hudson-Odoi was initially rumored to have pledged Ghana of his availability for the much-important clash with the Super Eagles of Nigeria following a meeting between his father and Technical Advisor of the Black Stars, Chris Hughton.
Before then, the Ghanaian President had last posted: “On Monday, June 7, 2021, Ghanaian-born Chelsea footballer, Callum Hudson-Odoi, paid a courtesy call on me at Jubilee House, the seat of our nation’s presidency.
“Amongst others, I urged the Minister for Youth and Sports to explore the possibility of having Callum switch nationality, and play for the Black Stars.”
