Callum Hudson Odoi: Chelsea Star Visits Akufo-Addo; Gifts Him Signed Jersey (Photos)
- Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi has visited President nana Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House
- President AKufo-Addo, after welcoming the winger, urged the Minister of Youth and Sports to explore the possibility of getting Hudson-Odoi to play fro Ghana
- Hudson-Odoi presented Akufo-Addo with a signed Chelsea jersey
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Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has met President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday , June 6, 2021.
Hudson-Odoi who arrived in Ghana last week for holidays paid a courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House.
During their meet-up, Hudson-Odoi presented a signed jersey of his to President Akufo-Addo.
Source: UGC
Hudson-Odoi who was accompanied by his brother, Bradley, was led to the presidency by Minster for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif.
Among the discussions held between them was the possibility of Hudson-Odoi switching his nationality from England to play for Ghana.
According to the president, he has already asked the minister to explore ways around which the 20-year-old could make the switch.
The president's Facebook page shared photos from the meeting with the caption:
"On Monday, 7th June 2021, Ghanaian-born Chelsea footballer, Callum Hudson-Odoi, paid a courtesy call on me at Jubilee House, the seat of our nation's presidency.
Amongst others, I urged the Minister for Youth and Sports to explore the possibility of having Callum switch nationality, and play for the Black Stars."
Callum Hudson-Odoi's Ghana ties
For those who may not know, Hudson-Odoi who was born in England on November 7, 2000, has a Ghanaian father.
His father is Bismark Odoi, a former Hearts of Oak midfielder.
Though he was eligible to play for Ghana, Hudson-Odoi opted to play for the country of his birth, England.
In March 2019, he became the youngest player to debut in a competitive match for England, doing so in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic.
Hudson-Odoi has not closed door on Ghana
President Akufo-Addo's call on Hudson-Odoi comes after Hud the player hinted of a possibility of playing for Ghana in the future.
The Chelsea star was left out of England manager Gareth Southgate's squad for the upcoming EURO 2020 championship, making his international future unclear.
In an interview after arriving in Ghana, Hudson-Odoi said "...England came and I said yeah, let me go and play for my country. But I said Ghana is my home as well, so we’ll see, we’ll see. You’ll never know, so."
Can he still play Ghana after lining up for England?
This is a question that will be on the minds of many people after listening to Hudson-Odoi's interview.
The answer is yes. New regulations from FIFA stipulate that players who have played not more than three matches for one country can switch to play for another provided the matches were played when the player was under 21 years.
"Players can now switch national teams provided they are eligible to represent them as long as they have played no more than three matches (including friendlies), none of the matches were in the final tournament of the FIFA World Cup or confederation competition, and they all happened before the player turned 21," a statement from FIFA reads.
Chelsea fans honour Hudson-Odoi
Meanwhile, Callum Hudson-Odoi himself has been honoured by Chelsea supporters in Ghana.
They gifted him a traditional stool at a presentation ceremony in Accra which was attended by many prominent supporters of the English Premier League club.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
