Eddie Nketiah
Crystal Palace forward Eddie Nketiah is on the verge of switching his international allegiance from England to Ghana, with the necessary paperwork being prepared for submission to FIFA.
The 27-year-old has made significant progress towards committing his international future to the Black Stars, with documents required to formalise the move now being assembled for FIFA’s consideration.
Nketiah has long been eligible to represent Ghana through his family heritage and has attracted interest from Ghanaian football authorities for several years.
The potential switch would provide a major boost to Ghana’s attacking options as the Black Stars prepare for upcoming international competitions.
The former Arsenal striker recently returned from injury and has established himself as a regular under Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage. He started Palace’s 3-2 comeback victory over Fulham on September 5 and assisted Tyrick Mitchell’s opening goal.
Nketiah made his England senior debut in a friendly against Australia in October 2023 but has not played for the Three Lions since.
Because his only senior appearance came in a non-competitive fixture, he remains eligible to apply for a change of association under FIFA regulations.
The switch must, however, receive formal approval before he can represent Ghana.
Nketiah was prolific for England’s youth teams and became the country’s all-time leading scorer at Under-21 level with 16 goals.
His father revealed in June that officials from Ghana’s Sports Ministry and other stakeholders had previously held discussions with the family over the possibility of the striker representing the Black Stars.
If FIFA approves the request, Nketiah would become eligible for Ghana selection and bring an end to the long-running speculation over his international future.