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Soccer News of Thursday, 15 March 2012

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Bellarabi will be an exciting addition

President of the Ghana Football Association says Karim Bellarabi will be an exciting addition to the Ghana national team if their bid to turn him into a full international succeeds.

Kwesi Nyantakyi has confirmed that plans are underway to convince the player to make a nationality switch to play for the Black Stars.

The 21-year-old scored Bayern Leverkusen's only goal in the 7-1 mauling at the hands of Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.

Bellarabi has a Ghanaian father and a German mother and was born in Berlin in April 1990.

"We have made contact with the father of Bellarabi over the possibility of the youngster playing for Ghana," the GFA President told Ghana Football.

"It has been established that the boy has been following the Black Stars and the exploits of the team which means he has an interest in Ghana.

"We will do whatever we can to convince him to play for Ghana.

"We must remember that he must be interested in playing for the Black Stars which will make things easier for us in pursuing an international switch for him.

"With the early signs he has shown in the Bundesliga and the Champions League he will be a good addition to the attacking force of the Black Stars."

His father, Alhassan says the final decision rests with the younger Bellarabi, who visited Ghana just three months ago during the Christmas holidays. . "When we were in Ghana in December he was very excited. The only thing is that since he grew up in Germany his interest in Ghana must be nurtured," Alhassan Bellarabi told Ghana Football.

"We will do our best to convince him but ultimaltely Karim will make his decision."

Bellarabi started his youth career with FC Huchting before playing for the youth sides of Werder Bremen and Oberneuland.

He played for the second tier Eintracht Braunschweig before Bayer Leverkusen signed him on last year.