Former Ghana midfielder Laryea Kingston has urged caution over calls to introduce new players into the Black Stars squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico approaching, there have been growing calls for England-born players such as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah to be included in Ghana’s squad.
But Kingston believes Ghana must focus on players already known to the technical team rather than making late changes.
“The World Cup is a top-level competition; so as a country, we need all our best players to compete well,” Kingston told the Daily Graphic in Accra.
The former Black Stars winger warned that introducing unfamiliar players close to a major tournament could disrupt team preparation.
“To avoid distractions, it will be very good to maintain players that the coach already knows rather than bring in new players so close to a major tournament,” he said.
Now coach of the Uganda national under-20 football team, Kingston said selecting players a coach already trusts is important at the World Cup.
“Fielding players that you don’t know tends to be torture because you are not sure what the player can do, and the player may also not know what you expect from him.
“Yes, they are Ghanaians, but we have to look at the contributions to the qualification. It’s always good to have a group of players that you believe in.”
Kingston, who narrowly missed Ghana’s final squads for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup, believes team understanding could be more valuable than simply adding new players.
By: Pascal Amoah
