September 6, 2022
The brief from today:
Inaki Williams receives first Ghana call-up
Ghana coach, Otto Addo, released his latest list of call-ups for the upcoming international break later this month. Among the players selected is Inaki Williams, who after being born and raised in Spain, opted to represent Ghana following an announcement in July. Williams, at the time of his decision, had played for Spain 17 times at U-21 level, and once for the senior side. Ghana’s football association had been courting him since last year, but at the time he said he doesn’t feel it’s right for him to take the place of other players who were more culturally tied to Ghana. His change of stance will now see him join his new national team for friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua in a few weeks. Williams so far has one goal this season in four matches for club side Athletic Bilbao, but more than his goal return the thing he is known for is his durability. Last weekend’s La Liga match versus Espanyol marked the 237th straight appearance Williams made for Bilbao—a streak that dates back to April 2016. This physical health, coupled with his numerous years played within a European setup, are among the reasons Ghana were so desperate to turn his allegiance in their favor. After all the overtures, it seems he is all but assured a place in the Ghana squad headed to Qatar in November.
Long-time Athletic Bilbao striker, Inaki Williams, has received his first call-up for Ghana
Norway gets political
Politics from the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war has spilled over into squad selections once again. First it was Poland in June, and now the Norway Football Federation (NFF) has also barred a player from national team selection due to his decision to ply his trade in Russia. The player in question is Mathias Normann, who joined Russian side FC Rostov in 2019. After two years there, he went on loan to Norwich City in England last season, but the English side’s relegation meant Normann’s loan wasn’t made permanent. Earlier this summer he would join newly promoted Serie A side, Lecce, also on loan, but before the window closed the Italian side said he wouldn’t actually play for them. Parent club, FC Rostov would loan him out yet again, but this time it was to fellow Russian side, Dynamo Moscow. This most recent transfer is what provoked the NFF’s decision, which left head coach, Stale Solbakken, responsible for delivering the news to the 12-time capped midfielder. Despite Norway failing to qualify for the World Cup, they will still be meeting for the international break later this month, but it will be without one player due to the latest involvement of politics in sporting decisions.
Mathias Normann playing for Norway before his recent indefinite exclusion