Former Ghana international Derek Boateng has voiced his opposition to calls for England-based players Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah to be included in the Black Stars squad for the 2026 World Cup.

The duo, who have both represented England at the senior level, have been subjects of speculation following Ghana’s qualification for the tournament. However, neither player participated in the qualifiers, nor have they definitively declared their intention to switch international allegiance despite previous overtures from the Ghana Football Association.

“They should not be called. I don’t think it is fair,” Boateng stated in an interview with Sporty FM.

Boateng drew on his own experiences with the national team, recounting an incident involving Kevin-Prince Boateng. “I quite remember when I was with the national team, we went to Congo to play qualification, Kelvin Prince Boateng was invited but he did not show up. We played England next and he came to the hotel, we made sure he was out of the squad.”

He argued that introducing players who haven’t consistently committed to the team could disrupt the existing dynamics. “Football is a teamwork and bringing them will create a lot of chaos and trouble in the national team. Players have friends in the national team,” he explained.

Nketiah has made a single appearance for England’s senior team and has scored four goals in all competitions for Crystal Palace this season. Hudson-Odoi, with three England caps, has netted three times for Nottingham Forest this term.

Looking ahead to the tournament, the Black Stars are drawn in Group L, where they will face Panama, England, and Croatia. Boateng expressed confidence in Ghana’s ability to compete against England and Croatia, but cautioned against underestimating Panama, who are appearing in only their second World Cup.

“England is not tough for us. England is afraid of us. The team we have to look at more is Panama and I feel like we have to make sure we win that game,” he asserted.

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