Mohammed Salisu reportedly ready to play for the Black Stars
Southampton man has denied several callups
World Cup qualification cited as a factor for his decision
That Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu is ready to play for the Black Stars will surely elicit different reactions as has always been the case.
A report by Joy News citing close sources disclosed on Monday, June 4, 2022, that the player has finally agreed to represent the senior national team after rejecting previous call ups.
The report cited Ghana’s qualification to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as one of the major reasons why Salisu has made a U-turn.
After securing qualification (beating Nigeria in a playoff), the technical body piled pressure on the GFA to help assemble Ghana’s best talent worldwide, the Joy News report stated.
It added that the team viewed among others the aerial and physical strength of the player as key traits required for Otto Addo’s team.
The other key factor was a meeting months back in the United Kingdom with Ghana Football Association president Kurt Okraku.
A video of the two men having a cordial exchange in the streets went viral on social media at the time. The duo it turned out were discussing issues to do with the player playing for the Black Stars in the Hausa language.
With this development, Salisu joins a list of possible targets for the Black Stars as the team prepares for the African Cup of Nations qualifiers and for the World Cup later this year.
Brief about Mohammed Salisu
The center back was ranked 6th best defender in the 2021/2022 EPL by Mirror in October 2021.
He joined Southampton from Spanish La Liga side Read Valladolid in the summer of 2020 and is currently having his second season with the Saint Mary’s outfit.
Salisu has played 23 out of the clubs 24 premier league matches this season, coming on as a substitute once.
The Ghanaian is steadily building his niche of becoming one of the best center backs in Europe.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
