ACCRA: Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu could earn his first international cap, while newcomers Tariq Lamptey and Inaki Williams have also been called up in Ghana’s 29-man squad for this month’s World Cup warm-up games against Brazil and Nicaragua.
Salisu, 23, is yet to win one cap for his country after turning down previous appeals to focus on his career at his Premier League club but met with Ghana Football Association officials this year about his availability for the club the World Cup finals in Qatar.
Brighton and Hove Albion right-back Lamptey, 21, is in after switching allegiances from England, where he was capped at youth level, while Williams, 28, has also agreed to play for Ghana despite a single cap for Spain friendly in 2016.
The Athletic Bilbao forward broke the Spanish league record for most consecutive appearances last season, extending it to 237 unbeaten appearances.
Ghana meet Brazil in Le Havre on September 23 and Nicaragua in Lorca, Spain on September 27 to complete preparations for Qatar, where they were paired in Group H with Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana coach Otto Addo also named two former German youth internationals Stephan Ambrosius and Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer, who have also changed international affiliations, according to Ghana FA.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Abdul Manaf Nurudeen (KAS Eupen), Richard Ofori (Orlando Pirates), Joe Wollacott (Charlton Athletic)
Defenders: Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Stephan Ambrosius (Karlsruher), Alexander Djiku (Racing Strasbourg), Tariq Lamptey (Brighton and Hove Albion), Gideon Mensah (AJ Auxerre), Denis Odoi (Club Brugge ). ), Baba Abdul Rahman (Reading), Mohammed Salisu (Southampton), Alidu Seidu (Clermont Foot)
Midfielders: Dede Ayew (Al Sadd), Iddrisu Baba (Mallorca), Danie Afriyie Barnieh (Hearts of Oak), Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade), Issahaku Abdul Fatawu (Sporting Lisbon), Ransford-Yeboah Königsdorffer (Hamburger SV), Mohamed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (Freiburg), Elisha Owusu (KAA Gent), Thomas Partey (Arsenal), Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Stade Rennes)
Forwards: Felix Afena-Gyan (AS Roma), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Benjamin Tetteh (Hull City), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao).
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
