Two Ghana-born footballers, Salifu Ibrahim and Baba Alhassan have officially switched national allegiances to represent Benin and Uganda, respectively.
Salifu, who plies his trade with FC Drita in Kosovo, completed his nationality change after talks with the Benin Football Federation.
His eligibility stems from his late father’s roots in the West African nation, and he’s now part of Benin’s 30-man squad for their upcoming friendly against Burkina Faso on November 18.
The former Hearts of Oak playmaker, who played a key role in the Phobians’ 2020/21 Ghana Premier League triumph, described the switch as emotional.
“I am very happy to play for Benin, because my late father was also from Benin, so it is not difficult for me to change nationality,” he said.
“It’s an emotional moment for me and my family. I know he would have been proud to see this day.”
Salifu helped FC Drita secure their own league title in Kosovo before earning his first international call-up with the Squirrels.
Benin, who have qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, are drawn in Group D alongside Senegal, DR Congo, and Botswana.
Meanwhile, Baba Alhassan has been handed his debut invitation by Uganda after completing a nationality switch from Ghana.
The defensive midfielder, who represents FCSB (Steaua Bucharest) in Romania, has made 21 appearances across all competitions this term.
His displays have earned him a spot in Paul Put’s 28-man squad for Uganda’s friendlies against Chad and Morocco on November 15 and 19.
The Belgian coach, who recently renewed his contract, is looking to strengthen his squad ahead of next month’s AFCON campaign.
Baba now joins a growing list of Ghana-born players who have opted to represent other nations, including Samuel Asamoah, Emmanuel Hackman, Yaw Annor, Kennedy Boateng (all for Togo), and Salim Abubakar (Niger).
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