Ghana has all but missed out on Athletic Bilbao winger, Nico Williams representing the Black Stars after he was handed a call-up by Spain’s national team.
Nico and his elder brother and club teammate Iñaki Williams were born to Ghanaian parents and courted heavily by the Ghana Football Association to switch international allegiance.
However, while Iñaki who played 30 minutes for Spain in a friendly against Bosnia in 2016 switched to represent Ghana, Nico in July this year during a visit to Ghana asked for more time to make a decision.
“I have been watching the Black Stars. I always want to see them [play] and learn from them,” he said at the time.
“I am so young at the moment and I’m focusing on myself, working hard. Whether it is Spain or Ghana [I don’t know yet]. I want to be the best and when the time comes, I will [make the decision],” he stated.
However, he is now in line to make his international debut for Spain at the senior level after being called up by Luis Enrique’s 25-man squad for upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Switzerland and Portugal.
If he plays any minutes for Spain against Switzerland in Zaragoza on September 24 and plays Portugal in Braga three days later, he would still be eligible be represent Ghana, provided he does not play more than three competitive matches at a senior level prior to turning 21 years.
Nico would be looking to make a huge impression to earn a slot for Spain at the 2022 World Cup with the likes of Barcelona’s Ansu Fati being left out of Enrique’s latest call-up.
The call up comes on the back of his first Spanish league goal in the last round in a 4-1 victory for Bilbao against Elche.
Nico’s elder brother, Iñaki has been handed a debut call-up by Black Stars coach Otto Addo today for friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
They will become only the second brothers of Ghanaian heritage to play for different teams if they are selected by their respective teams for the FIFA World Cup after Jerome and Kevin-Prince Boateng did so for Germany and Ghana.
