By Collins Sarkodieh 
Deep-seated concerns regarding the selection process for the Black Stars have emerged following a candid interview with Eric Akwasi Agyei, the uncle of Union Berlin defender Derrick Köhn. Agyei has expressed profound frustration over his nephew’s exclusion from the national squad, alleging that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has used intimidation tactics to silence him.
Agyei claims that after he publicly questioned why Köhn was left out of the World Cup squad, he received a warning from GFA officials. He alleges they threatened that if he continued to speak out, his nephew would be permanently barred from representing Ghana.
This situation is particularly painful for Agyei, who personally convinced Köhn to switch his national allegiance to Ghana. Köhn had originally intended to wait for a potential call-up from the German national team, but he ultimately chose to commit to Ghana based on his uncle’s persuasion.
Agyei revealed that an official from the GFA, identified as Alex Asante, had promised to send a ticket for Köhn to join the squad for a match against Wales. This promise, according to Agyei, makes the subsequent exclusion of the player even more confusing and unprofessional.
The uncle questions the integrity of the process, asking how Köhn is expected to reconcile his career path now that his commitment to Ghana has resulted in him being sidelined. He fears this treatment will permanently damage the player’s international prospects.
In the interview Agyei also pointed to inconsistencies regarding the selection of defender Baba Rahman. He stated that when coach Otto Addo initially reached out to Rahman for the World Cup qualifiers, the player declined, citing that his family was tired of the persistent insults they received from fans whenever he played for the Black Stars.
Despite this declared retirement from national duty, Rahman was later included in the team traveling to the World Cup. This sudden reversal has fueled suspicions among observers that the decision-making process is not based on current player willingness or form.
Michael Essien has added his voice to the growing criticism, describing the current Black Stars call-up as being “deep-rooted in corruption.” He questioned the technical decision-making, noting that such bizarre roster choices, like the selection of five goalkeepers for a single tournament, appear to be dictated by the GFA rather than the coaching staff.
Essien remarked that choosing Baba Rahman over Derrick Köhn is “laughable” based on current performance standards. He emphasized that the nation continues to repeat the same administrative mistakes that have stalled progress, specifically criticizing the federation for convincing players like Köhn to switch nationalities only to deny them a fair opportunity to compete.
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Source: ghananewspage.com