Apart from senior players who may have an advantage, no one is guaranteed a place – Andre Ayew

Black Stars skipper, Andre Ayew, says new players are not guaranteed a place in the squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup except senior players.

Five of the six players are in Ghana’s squad for the international as the team prepares for the upcoming Mundial with only Patrick Pfeiffer out of the squad.

The players have been tipped to make the Black Stars squad for the global showpiece which kicks off on November 20 to December 18.

However, Ayew says no player is certain of a place in the team yet except for some senior players who could be given a nod.

“The newcomers are talented, but we already have a strong team that qualified for the World Cup, so every position is competitive,” he told Aljazeera.

“Apart from senior players who may have an advantage, I believe no one is guaranteed a place in the squad just yet. Everyone must prove their quality on the field and everyone has a chance, giving the coach more options and solutions, formations, and I believe it is beneficial to have new players with the right mentality.”

The Al Sadd player added that the door is always opened for players who are ready to play for the country to do well at the Mundial.

“The players are good, and qualifying for the World Cup makes you very attractive. Why not let the boys come? The door is open for any Ghanaian who wants to play for and help the country, but you must come with the same determination you put into your club and the same desire, and you cannot expect everything in your European club to be the same in the national team because there is a time for the team to adapt.”

The Black Stars are currently in Spain, where they will face Nicaragua in a friendly game on Tuesday, September 27.

Meanwhile, Ghana, who are four-time African champions, have been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.