Winger Albert Adomah’s impressive form in Middlesbrough promotion run-in in the English second tier looks to have been the reason for his Ghana recall.
The flying flanker was one of Boro’s better performers as the Championship season came to a climax and his form caught the eye of Black Stars boss Avram Grant who was at hand to watch him in England.
And now Adomah has been called up for Ghana’s opening 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at home to Mauritius.
Grant had initially only seen Adomah as a fringe player.
The Boro winger had played just 12 minutes in last year’s World Cup in Brazil, coming off the bench late in a 2-1 group game defeat to the USA.
He had barely featured under Grant, who took over after Ghana’s messy exit - but he now looks to be back in the fold.
Albert Adomah for Ghana
Grant told the Ghanaian press he has been impressed by Adomah’s work ethic, tracking back and defensive discipline in the second half of the season.
And he has pencilled him in to start as the continental contest gets underway on June 14.
Ghana, rated the second best team in Africa are in a qualifying group with Mozambique, Rwanda and Mauritius and are expected to progress easily.
The finals will be held in Gabon in January and February 2017.
Albert Adomah and Jermaine Jones
Gabon, in West Africa, stepped in to stage the finals after scheduled hosts Libya withdrew as the country descended into war-torn anarchy.
They were confirmed as hosts last week in a vote by the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
They were selected over rival bids from Algeria and Ghana.
Libya were due to stage it in 2013 but swapped with South Africa so as to have more time to be ready after the revolution that ousted Colonel Gadaffi.
But earlier this year they conceded they wouldn’t be able to organise the security for the prestigious 16-team event and withdrew.