Eddie Nketiah gets debut England call-up; find out why he is still eligible for Ghana
Ghana's aspirations of enlisting Eddie Nketiah, the Arsenal forward, to represent the national team, the Black Stars, have been extinguished as he has received his inaugural call-up from England.
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Gareth Southgate, England's manager, summoned the talented striker following an impressive start to the season, marked by two goals in three matches for Arsenal.
Nketiah's inclusion in the squad for the upcoming UEFA Euro qualifiers against Ukraine and the friendly fixture with Scotland in September underscores his growing prominence on the international stage.
Despite his involvement in England's youth teams, Nketiah, 24, maintained eligibility to play for Ghana. However, this recent decision decisively places England at the helm of his international future.
In June last year, Nketiah confirmed discussions with Ghana over a potential nationality switch, expressing his openness to both England and Ghana.
With Ghanaian heritage through his parents, he articulated his sentiment, stating, "Being from Ghana, you would be happy that they qualified for the World Cup."
His international future gains additional complexity due to the recently revised FIFA regulations pertaining to changing national teams.
Three new exceptions now enable a player to switch their international allegiance if they meet certain criteria including;
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- If the player held the nationality of their new association at the time of their first official appearance for their first national team.
- the player has not played in the final stage of an official tournament such as the World Cup, European Championship, AFCON, Copa America etc.
- at least three years have passed since the player's last senior appearance for their previous national team.
These revised regulations create a dynamic landscape for international player selections, allowing for strategic shifts based on eligibility and circumstances. While Nketiah's debut call-up for England confirms his current commitment, the intricate interplay of eligibility rules suggests that opportunities for a switch in allegiance may persist should circumstances evolve.