Lawyer and football administrator Moses Foh-Amoaning ESQ has argued that the inclusion of Callum Hudson-Odoi would significantly boost the Black Stars’ prospects at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, cautioning against sidelining players who did not feature during the qualifiers.

The debate follows comments by Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Simeon-Okraku, who has maintained that players who failed to respond to previous call-ups should be exempted from Ghana’s World Cup squad. Former Black Stars midfielder Derek Boateng has also echoed similar sentiments, insisting that allowing such players into the tournament squad would be unfair to those who remained loyal throughout the qualifiers and could disrupt team harmony.

Foh-Amoaning, however, has expressed concern that excluding Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah could prove costly for the national team. In his view, Hudson-Odoi, in particular, has demonstrated his quality in recent performances and could make a decisive difference.

“I will plead that we should forgive and do away with the motions when we are talking about Eddie Nketiah and Callum Hudson-Odoi,” Foh-Amoaning told Asempa FM.

He argued that the current pool of players cannot be compared to past generations, especially the squad that narrowly missed the semi-finals in South Africa in 2010, stressing the need to prioritise quality.

“The players we had in 2006 and 2010 cannot be compared with what we have today. That is why I am pleading that we include these two players in the Black Stars squad because of England,” he said.

Emphasising Hudson-Odoi’s form, Foh-Amoaning added: “I watched Hudson-Odoi against Tottenham, and I saw Kudus as well, and you can see the best player on the pitch, and that was Hudson-Odoi. So if we have him and Eddie Nketiah in this Black Stars team, it will be good for our country, and they will improve the team as well.”

The comments add to the growing debate over selection criteria for the Black Stars as Ghana builds toward the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

In Group L, Ghana will take on Panama, England, and Croatia, in that order.