Former Black Stars player Nii Odartey Lamptey says new Ghana recruit Emmanuel Frimpong should be ignored for Afcon 2013

Nov 30, 2012 6:25:00 AM

The former Ghana international says because of timing reasons, the midfielder should not be at the Nations Cup but rather given the chance after the tournament

Former Ghana international, Nii Odartey Lamptey, says he would not have considered Emmanuel Frimpong for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations if he was the coach of the Black Stars.

The 37-year-old believes the right time to give the young midfielder the chance is after the Afcon.

Frimpong’s nationality switch from England to Ghana was confirmed by Fifa on Tuesday making him eligible to play for the four-time African champions after formerly playing for the England Under-16 and 17.

With Ghana coach, Kwesi Appiah set to name his Afcon squad in mid-December, the Arsenal player who is on-loan at Charlton Athletic is in contention for a place.

But Lamptey thinks the timing is wrong.

“The time is a bit short so if I was in the shoes of coach Appiah, I will hold on for now since he has not been tried in a Ghana match yet and rather give him the chance after the tournament," the former Anderlecht and Aston Villa player told Goal.com Ghana.

"I have watched him a couple of times for Arsenal and I know he has some qualities that will help the team so it is up to the coach to decide if he is really cut out for the Afcon."

Claude Le Roy selected Quincy Owusu Abeyie for Ghana’s 2008 Afcon tournament shortly after Fifa confirmed his nationality switch while a similar thing happened in the build-up to South Africa 2010 in relation to AC Milan's Kevin-Prince Boateng.

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