Antoine Semenyo has met with a delegation from the Ghana FA and has declared his intentions to represent the Black Stars, with the Bristol City striker now potentially two games from playing in the World Cup.
As reported by Ghanaian journalist Saddick Adams, Semenyo and his parents spoke with representatives last week and paperwork is now being processed to enable him to be in contention for a call-up in their two-legged qualifying play-off against Nigeria on March 23 and 29.
Whoever wins is then guaranteed one of the five places for African nations at the Qatar World Cup, which kicks off from November 21.
London-born Semenyo qualifies for Ghana through his mother, while his father was born in neighbouring Togo. Last week in a Q&A posted on Bristol City's media channels, he remarked how the country was his favourite holiday destination.
The 22-year-old has been in outstanding form for the Robins having been moved into a central attacking position under Nigel Pearson after spending much of his career previous to that as a winger/wide forward.
Semenyo captured national attention with his brilliant brace against Fulham at Craven Cottage last month and that, along with his impressive return of four goals and six assists in 16 appearances - a goal involvement every 99 minutes - sparked an unsuccessful deadline day bid from Nottingham Forest.
That approach was promptly rejected by City with the club valuing Semenyo towards the £20million bracket and certainly if he was to become an international footballer that would likely only widen his reputation and potential price-tag.
Semenyo has emerged through the City academy having been recruited via Dave Hockaday's football programme at SGS College and after loans at Bath City, Newport County and Sunderland and became a first-team regular last season under Dean Holden and then Pearson.
His start to the 2021/22 campaign was curtailed by persistent knee problems but he returned in December and has had an undeniable impact on the way City attack, with his pace, penetration, power and an intelligence in his movement and finishing bringing a new dimension to the team.
Ghana are currently without a manager but latest reports indicate that Chris Hughton will be given the role following a meeting last Friday with an initial plan to appoint Borussia Dortmund coach Otto Addo abandoned.
Former Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest boss Hughton was in the running to become City manager in the summer of 2020 following the departure of Lee Johnson but after being interviewed, the board instead opted for Holden.
If Semenyo's paperwork is processed in time and he is called up by the Black Stars, it won't interfere with his availability for City this season as the play-off is scheduled in the next international window.
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