Andre Ayew wants new players to die for Black Stars
Ghana captain Andre Ayew says he is excited that some Europe-born players consider themselves Ghanaian enough to play for the Black Stars.
The 32-year-old said every new player is welcome to the team but urged them to show the right commitment and also be ready to die for the team.
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, while Mohammed Salisu has also made U-turn.
The timing of their nationality switches has, however, divided opinion among Ghanaians, with some describing them as opportunistic.
Ayew believes while that is a genuine concern, the Black Stars currently need all the quality they can get to thrive on the world stage.
“I know that some people are saying that they have come because of the World Cup but honestly we will never know [the real motive]. What we know is that these are quality players who can bring something to the squad,” he told the Graphic Sport.
“Now, they have decided to come and if they have the right heart, the right determination to die for the team from the first minute to the 90th minute during the World Cup and after the World Cup, we are going to open every door that we have to make them comfortable.”
The Al Sadd forward added: “First of all, the fact that they considered themselves as Ghanaians and are ready to play for Ghana means they are welcome. We’ll open the door for anybody that can help us to achieve something and for the long term is welcome.
“They should come with the right heart and the right idea and everyone will welcome them into the team.”
Ghana will face Brazil in a high-profile international friendly on Friday before taking on Nicaragua four days later.
