Arsenal winger Charles Sagoe Jr. was called up by Liberia for their World Cup qualifiers this month, but he turned down the opportunity.
Charles Watts reports that Charles Sagoe Jr. received a call-up from Liberia for their World Cup qualifiers against Namibia and Equatorial Guinea over the ongoing international break, but the player decided not to accept the call.
Sagoe Jr. has reportedly informed the Liberia Football Association that he wants to take some time before making a decision on his international future.
Though the player qualifies for Liberia through his mother, he’s also eligible for Ghana, and Watts reports that Ghana national team staff are monitoring his progress.
Given Sagoe Jr. was born and raised in England, he’d also be eligible to represent the Three Lions. Whilst he was appreciative of the offer from Liberia, he’s reluctant to commit at this stage.
International allegiance is always tricky for players with multiple options. Even taking the emotion out of it, there’s still a balancing act between playing for a country where you’re much more likely to get minutes and playing for a country that’s more likely to be successful.
England are the fourth-ranked country in the current FIFA rankings, with Ghana 75th and Liberia 144th. England are probably the most likely to compete for the biggest trophies, but they’re also the least likely to call Sagoe Jr. up.
By contrast, Sagoe Jr. evidently already has the opportunity to play for Liberia, but the country only have two AFCON appearances and zero World Cup appearances to their name.
Then you have to add the emotions back in. For example, maybe Ghana makes the most sense, as the country are more likely to call up Sagoe Jr. than England, and they’re more likely to play at a major tournament than Liberia. But if the player feels more English, perhaps he’d rather wait.
It’s a tough choice, and it makes sense that the player would want to take his time making it.
Sagoe Jr. has scored and assisted six goals in seven appearances for the Arsenal u21s this season.