Ghana close to capturing Tariq Lamptey after Brighton defender arrives in country for meeting with Black Stars handlers
Ghana are close to capturing Brighton defender Tariq Lamptey ahead of November’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Lamptey’s chances to feature for The Three Lions of England is limited due to Liverpool and Chelsea stars at the right-back.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James provide start and back-up options for each other that put Tariq Lamptey in a third place if the Brighton defender is to be selected in a straight three pecking order analysis.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that there are other alternatives like Man City’s right-back Kyle Walker that still widen Lamptey’s closeness to play for England senior side.
The defender has accessed his Three Lions chances and has decided to make a rational switch to Ghana Black Stars especially now that the world’s most prestigious tournament the FIFA World Cup is almost six months to start.
With proceedings to complete the youngster’s national switch already underway, the Ghana Football Association striking a deal is ever closer than before after 21-year arrives in Ghana to meet with Black Stars technical staff.
Lamptey and his father are currently in Ghana, where they will meet Black Stars coach Otto Addo and the rest of the technical staff, which includes former Premier League boss Chris Hughton.
The 21-year-old has decided to play for Ghana, and the meeting is simply to formally communicate his decision and make himself available for future assignments, Ghanasoccernet.com can report.
The right-back is expected to attend the Black Stars’ 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Madagascar at the Cape Coast Stadium on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
This comes after Lamptey turned down an invitation to play for the England U21 side, with the team’s coach Lee Carsley revealing Lamptey was seriously considering playing for Ghana.
Lamptey was contacted by Ghana in 2020 but made his England Under-21 debut later that year.
“He’s asked to be left out of the squad for a bit of head space,” said Carsley.
“He’s not switched, it’s not cemented or anything like that but he’s had an approach, we respect that.
“We’ve made it clear how important we see him to us. I know the senior team has as well.
“Tariq is fully aware of how important we see him – I have rung him every day!
“I probably shouldn’t have, I probably pushed him. You can only make it clear so many times. He knows where we stand with him. We respect he’s got a decision to make.”
Lamptey, who has two Under-21 caps, qualifies for Ghana through his parents and has also played for England Under-18s and Under-19s.
The former Chelsea full-back started 16 times for Brighton in the Premier League in the 2021-22 season and made a further 14 appearances as a substitute.
Lamptey, like many others who want to switch national team football for Black Stars have been warned that decision to play for Ghana doesn’t required automatic registration.
The GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum has claimed that the GFA cannot begin the process of a nationality switch of a Ghanaian player born abroad without the recommendation of the Black Stars coaches.
This means Lamptey will have to pass the recommendation of Black Stars technical bench before the GFA will get any deal done.
“I don’t know the players we want to pursue. The truth is that let’s leave that to the coach. When Otto Addo got the job, he decided to bring Dennis Odoi and Elisha Owusu. He gave us pressure; we went through the process and we got the two players.”
“When C.K took the job, he decided to bring Akwasi Otchere Wriedt and we did everything possible to bring him. Under C.K Akunnor we went to France to visit Alexander Djiku and we did all we could to change his nationality,” he said in an interview with Joy FM.
It’s been revealed in Ghana Soccer Net that the GFA has started discussions for other stars of Callum Hudson Odoi, Eddie Nketiah, Inaki Williams, Salisu Mohammed and Tariq Lamptey.
The West African side have been placed in Group H along with Portugal, South Korean and Uruguay.
