In most cases, footballers who are born of different countries turn to face dilemmas in selecting their international affiliations. These players face the headache of picking between the country they were born into and perhaps grown or the country where their parents originate.
That is however not the case of fast-raising Southampton defender, Mohammed Salisu. He was born to Ghanaian parents and was raised in Ghana.
The 22-year-old spent a chunk of his youth career in Ghana before securing a move to Europe. However, he is yet to play for Ghana, rejecting the Black Stars on three occasions.
In an interview with Kenyan media MozzartSport in 2021, he said although he would love to play for Ghana he does not feel ready.
“I’ll be so proud to play to my country, to play with Ghana, the national team".
“But I think this is not the right moment to play in the national team. I think I need to focus on the club side because I am young, I think I need to focus on the club first and then after, when everything is fine, I can go and play for Ghana.”
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First Black Stars rejection
In August 2021, several reports claimed Salisu had been handed his debut call-up ahead of Ghana's group stage games in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
However, Charles Kwabla Akonnor who was the Black Stars coach then excluded the player from the squad.
When asked why the Southampton man was not part of the team he said:
"With Mohammed Salisu, you need check," he said during the squad announcement.
"The other day he said when he is ready, he will let us know.
"I don't know, maybe. He said when he is ready, and up till now, I don't know if he is ready or not. So I won't be able to answer that," he added.
Salisu turns Black Stars down for the second time
The GFA began another pursuit to get Salisu Mohammed in December. They tried to convince him to join Ghana's squad for the 2021 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
This time hopes were high as the FA reportedly made an advancement buy yet again talks were unsuccessful as the player declined.
Therefore, he was not included in head coach, Milovan Rajevac's squad for the tournament.
Accepts but reverses decision
The FA for the third time have knocked on the doors of Salisu to represent Ghana in the upcoming World cup playoffs in March 2022.
This time, the operation to get center back in the team was led by interim Black Stars boss, Otto Addo and technical advisor, Chris Hughton who according to the report got the job done.
Prior to that, his uncle, Yakubu Ahmed, had said that the player has now agreed to play for the Black Stars.
“He will be playing for Ghana soon. He has assured us that he will play in the World Cup qualifiers,” Yakubu Ahmed told Kumasi-based Sikka FM.
“He cleared the air about his absence in the AFCON but assured of availability for the World Cup qualifiers.”
Nevertheless, the latest report suggests that the player has reversed his decision.
Several media reports explain that the player’s latest rejection is on the account of the GFA accepting an appeal from his youth club, Creative Soccer Sports to contest the Salisu's status.
Creative Soccer initially wrote to the GFA that the player was wrongfully floated to African Talents Academy.
Their claim made the player inactive during his first years in Europe. Creative Soccer eventually lost the case and Salisu was therefore granted access to play football.
