Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston has urged Otto Addo to resist the temptation of introducing unfamiliar players into Ghana’s squad as preparations intensify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

‎Following Ghana’s qualification for the tournament, which will be hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico, several Ghanaian-born players in the diaspora have reportedly expressed interest in switching allegiance to represent the Black Stars.

Among those frequently mentioned are England-born forwards Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah. However, Kingston believes introducing new players at this stage could disrupt the team’s balance.

‎“To avoid distractions, it will be very good to maintain players that the coach already knows rather than bring in new players so close to a major tournament,” Kingston told Graphic Sports.

The former winger, who now coaches the Uganda national under-20 football team, said national team selection should be built on trust, familiarity and commitment shown during the qualification campaign.

‎“Fielding players that you don’t know tends to be torture because you are not sure what the player can do, and the player may also not know what you expect from him,” he said.

‎“Yes, they are Ghanaians, but we have to look at their contributions to the qualification. It’s always good to have a group of players that you believe in, monitor their progress, ensure they are getting minutes at their clubs and hitting top form when they come into the national team.”

‎Ghana will make their fifth appearance at the World Cup and have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama national football team, England national football team and Croatia national football team.

The Black Stars open their campaign against Panama on 17 June, before facing England on 23 June and concluding their group stage against Croatia on 27 June.

As part of preparations, the team is expected to regroup for friendly matches against the Austria national football team and the Germany national football team, before a warm-up fixture against the Mexico national football team in May, and then a final friendly against Wales in June. The squad will be based at Bryant University in the United States during the tournament.

After group-stage exits at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Ghana will be aiming for a stronger showing when the tournament returns to North America.