Athletic Bilbao striker Iñaki Williams has officially announced switching his country of allegiance from Spain to Ghana.
The 28-year-old – who has been courted by the World Cup-bound African giants since 2015 – took to his official Twitter handle Tuesday evening to communicate his decision to defend the Ghana shirt henceforth.
Footy-Ghana.com can confirm that Iñaki recently acquired his Ghana passport while necessary documentation with Fifa are believed to have been completed at this stage.
”The moment has come for me to find my origins within myself and with Africa and Ghana which means so much to me and my family.
“I want to return a small part of everything it has given to us because Ghana has played a significant part in becoming who I am as a person, as a son and as a brother.
“Today, a new challenge begins. I will defend Ghana’s T-shirt with all my will whilst I give my best. I am one of the Black Stars,” he said in a Twitter video post.
🇬🇭🖤 @ghanafaofficial pic.twitter.com/t5cSzOcIfB
— IÑAKI WILLIAMS (@Williaaams45) July 5, 2022
Iñaki only featured for Spain once in May 2016 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in a friendly game.
That was a couple of months after Ghana started courting the attacker. Former Black Stars coach Avram Grant led the charge by holding phone conversations with the player.
While being neglected by La Roja for about six years, Iñaki, in 2021, told the Guardian in an interview that he was still hopeful of becoming a regular.
Inaki Williams: ‘Playing for Spain means more to me than Ghana’
But his mind was turned after a visit by Kurt E.S Okraku, the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), on April 11, 2022 – exactly a fortnight after the Black Stars had secured qualification to the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
The April conversations with the GFA boss convinced Inaki and his advisors with the player wrapping up a week-long summer holiday in Ghana with a visit to the GFA Headquarters last month (June).
🇬🇭 | IT'S ABOUT TIME
– Welcome to the Black Stars, Iñaki Williams @Williaaams45 #BlackStars | #BringBackTheLove pic.twitter.com/hFoq9bBm1I
— Black Stars 🇬🇭 (@GhanaBlackstars) July 5, 2022
