Ajax has nurtured many talented Africans Ghana's promising nineteen-year-old defender Yakubu Abubakari, who plays for the top Dutch club Ajax, has decided to concentrate on playing for his club rather than playing for his country.

Yakubu has just been named by "World Soccer" magazine as number one on their list of the best young players worldwide.

Speaking before only his third senior game for the former European Cup winners against the Dutch league leaders PSV on Sunday, Yakubu said he owed it to his club to prove himself before answering any calls from the Ghana Black Stars.

Referring to established African stars who break from their European season to play in Cup of Nations qualifiers, and World Cup games, he said, "I prefer to concentrate on my play here, and make an improvement."

"Perhaps I will play for Ghana in a year's time," he added.

Yakubu, playing in the centre of defence for Ajax, was named man of the match despite his side's 1-nil defeat at the Amsterdam Arena.

He was picked out after successfully marking Ruud van Nistelrooy, who's 25 million dollar move to Manchester United failed last year after a recurrence of serious knee injury.

Yakubu's performance will also have impressed the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson - who was at the match checking on the fitness of Van Nistelrooy.