Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Communications Director, Ibrahim Sannie Daara, has revealed that former Ghanaian international Kevin-Prince Boateng once refused to play in an important AFCON qualifier against DR Congo but showed up days later for a friendly against England, a move that angered his teammates and caused a revolt.
Sannie Daara told Paul Adom-Otchere on Good Evening Ghana on Metro TV on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, that the incident convinced him that Boateng’s commitment to the national team was “opportunistic,” and he now regrets helping the midfielder join the Black Stars.
“I regret it because I did it with all my heart and my mind,” he said.
“I was then working at the BBC and I took it upon myself that he was a good player. I needed to support the system. At that time, the FA was, you know, ‘what if, what if.’ But I had to exert some pressure on the president [Kwesi Nyantakyi] and a few others and the switch went through.”
According to him, Boateng claimed injury ahead of the crucial qualifier against DR Congo but turned up to play a few days later when Ghana faced England at Wembley.
“Since he came to the national team, it looked too opportunistic in my liking,” he said.
“We were going to play DR Congo away, a very difficult AFCON qualifier, and he didn’t show up because he claimed he was injured. Three days later, we were playing England, he turned up saying he wanted to play. The players revolted, and he was sent away.”
Sannie Daara, who worked closely with the Ghana FA at the time, said the former AC Milan star’s short-lived commitment to the Black Stars had long-term consequences.
“What is the long-term benefit? After one tournament, he disappeared.
“Everyone believed that he gained admission to AC Milan because of the Black Stars,” Adom-Otchere said.
“It is true. He would never have made it,” Saani Daara corroborated.
He believes Boateng’s example has contributed to a growing trend of dual-nationality players delaying their allegiance switch until major tournaments approach.
“It is what has led to the growth in the number of players not wanting to commit early, only wanting to commit when the World Cup is here,” he said.
Sannie Daara also took aim at recent attempts to recruit English-born players like Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah, saying their earlier rejections of Ghana should not be overlooked.
“I’m vehemently opposed to Callum Hudson-Odoi in particular and Nketiah coming to play for the Black Stars,” he said. “
“Our former coaches Kwesi Appiah, Chris Hughton and our current coach, Otto Addo, have all made efforts to reach these guys. Out of respect for such respectable people, you turn them down. Now it’s time for the World Cup, and you see that your career is maybe in the corner, and you want to come,” he noted.
He said even the current FA President Kurt Okraku had personally met with their families, but they still declined.
“What message does this send to other players who are fully committed?” he asked.
“For me,” Sannie Daara noted, “at this point, we must send a message. Even for me, I’m not talking emotionally, I’m talking out of experience and what message we send to people in the future.”
