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Najeeb Yakubu accuses Kurt Okraku of excluding his passport from Ghana U-23 squad, forcing his switch to Niger | Pulse Ghana

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Mandela Anuvabe

Former Ghana Youth player Najeeb Yakubu has made a serious accusation against the Ghana Football Association President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, which in effect, forced him to naturalise for Niger.

Yakubu alleged that Kurt Okraku excluded his passport from the Black Meteors squad list for the 2021 Japan friendlies.

Speaking to Joy Sports in a recent interview, Yakubu disclosed the incident which occurred three years ago.

<blockquote>I think it’s the GFA President Kurt [Okraku who took out my passport from the U-23 squad that travelled to Japan in 2021 for the friendlies.] I think he has a personal problem with me.</blockquote>

According to him, that was due to him rejecting an offer from Kurt Okraku to sign for his club.

At the time, the right-back was only 17 years old and a member of the Black Starlets team.

<blockquote>When I was in the U-17 he [Kurt Okraku] wanted me to join his team, Dreams FC. Unfortunately, I couldn’t join his team [and he took it personal].</blockquote>

Yakubu now plays in Kosovo for Superleague side Prishtina and is a member of the Niger senior national team.

He was part of the Menas squad that defeated the Black Stars 2-1 at the Accra Sports Stadium in the final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying round game on Monday, November 18, 2024.

The 24-year-old right-back came on in the 45th minute as a substitute for the injured Abdoul Garba. He helped Niger gain seven points from six games but that wasn’t sufficient to secure a qualification spot for the West African nation.

Meanwhile, Kurt Okraku is yet to respond to these allegations.

Najeeb Yakubu accuses Kurt Okraku of excluding his passport from Ghana U-23 squad, forcing his switch to Niger

Former Ghana Youth player Najeeb Yakubu has made a damning accusation against the Ghana Football Association President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, which in effect, forced him to naturalise for Niger.

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