Eddie Nketiah has enjoyed himself at Crystal Palace in recent weeks.
The Crystal Palace No.9 scored a memorable winner against Liverpool in the 97th minute at Selhurst Park, before netting again to seal a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv.
However, there has been little success for Eddie Nketiah on the international front – which has now led the Londoner to open the door to Ghana.
Eddie Nketiah ready to give up on England and play for Ghana
The reliable Saddick Adams has now claimed on X (previously known as Twitter) that the 26-year-old has decided to represent Ghana, after regularly being overlooked by England.
Nketiah has one cap for the Three Lions, but it came during a friendly against Australia back in October 2023. Had it been a competitive fixture, the man born in Lewisham would have been tied to England for good.
Adams – a hugely respected African football journalist with over 1m followers – wrote: “Spoke to Nketiah’s family this weekend to get clarity on the stories about his switch. The source admitted that Nketiah had previously spoken to the Ghana coach and some GFA (Ghana Football Association) top officials but he had not settled at his club yet so couldn’t make a decision.
“However, Nketiah is now settled and at 26, matured enough and ready to “give his very best” if Ghana calls now. Says he has Ghana blood running through him so his “identity is unquestionable” – basically, he’s open to playing for Ghana now.”
Should Ghana call Nketiah up, he would offer another quality option in an attack already consisting of Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo – once a Crystal Palace trialist – and Selhurst Park cult hero Jordan Ayew.
Ghana have failed to qualify for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, so Oliver Glasner doesn’t have to worry about losing his No.9 this winter.
However, The Black Stars have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, so Ayew and his fellow Ghanaians would surely be delighted if Nketiah got the call, offering them another quality option in the squad.
Eddie Nketiah decision evokes shades of Wilfried Zaha
Despite debuting for England in November 2012 during a friendly against Sweden while Roy Hodgson was in charge of the Three Lions, Wilfried Zaha also ended up losing patience like Nketiah, who Jean-Philippe Mateta admires greatly.
The 32-year-old decided to give up hope of an England recall and play for the Ivory Coast in November 2016, winning 33 caps and scoring five goals so far.
If the switch helps to improve Nketiah and give the striker a sense of added purpose in his career, it can only be a good thing for Crystal Palace.
