“Ready to serve” – Ghana FA boss drops fresh Salisu for Black Stars hint

President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt E.S Okraku has dropped another strong hint that Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu is very close to honouring a Black Stars call-up.

The 23-year-old centre-back is yet to feature at any level for Ghana.

Several attempts have been made to get Salisu to play for the senior national team since 2019, but the player has avoided selections.

He was first called up by former coach Kwasi Appiah for the start of the 2021 Afcon qualifiers in November 2019 but the then Real Valladolid player failed to turn up with a rib injury excuse.

CK Akonnor took over from Kwasi Appiah as Black Stars head coach a couple of months later and was also not successful in his bid to have the player.

Serbian Milovan Rajevac’s second coming could not change the mind of the Kumasi-born who kept citing personal reasons for consistently opting out of selection.

The case was not different when current trainer Otto Addo approached Salisu prior to the World Cup playoffs against Nigeria in March.

But there came some glimmer of hope as the player poured out his issues to the Borrusia Dortmund talent trainer.

“I got to know Mohammed [Salisu]. I went to Southampton two months ago. We had very good talks.

“For you to understand [his reluctance to honouring his call-up to the national team], it will take longer.

“I don’t want to talk about him. Maybe it is his decision if he wants to talk [about his continuous absence from the Black Stars].

“But as an outsider, it’s easy to say he doesn’t want to play for Ghana. There are a lot of reasons and I understand him for his reasons.

“And I really appreciate him for taking the time for me to explain his stance to me and I hope the time will come.

“It will come. He wants to play for Ghana. Maybe not now,” Otto Addo said in an interview with Starr FM.

Eventually, the leader of the country’s football, Kurt Okraku, stepped in and paid the promising defender a visit in April where some frank talks were held.

Black Stars: Salisu says he will be available when he is ready – Akonnor

It emerged Salisu reiterated his commitment to representing only Ghana at the international level but asked for time to communicate his availability.

The Saints star is back home on summer holidays after an impressive full season in the Premier League.

An image accompanied by text shared by the GFA President on his Facebook page on Sunday, June 5 suggests the two have met once more, this time in the country.

“Great seeing you with that big smile…Proud son of the land who is proud to give back what football has given him.

”Ready to serve and looking forward to our common future with all the positive energy in you.

”God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong,” Kurt Okraku wrote.

Salisu Mohammed was about the best performing Ghanaian player in Europe’s major top leagues during the 2021/22 season. Making 34 Premier League appearances, he topped the interceptions stats with a whopping 78 during the campaign.