Kurt Okraku kicked me out of the national team for refusing to join Dreams FC - Niger defender Najeeb Yakubu

Former Ghana youth international Najeeb Yakubu has revealed that he was excluded from the national team by Kurt Okraku, the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), after refusing to join Dreams FC.

Najeeb, who was part of the Black Starlets squad for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup in 2017, had standout performances in both Gabon and India.

Despite his success at the youth level, he never received a senior national team call-up, even though he was playing regularly for Ukrainian club Vorskla Poltava. Eventually, Najeeb switched his nationality and began playing for Niger in 2022.

Recently, he made headlines by helping Niger secure a surprising 2-1 victory over Ghana in the final round of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

In an interview with Joy Sports, Najeeb accused the GFA president of blocking his international call-ups after his U-17 career, attributing it to a personal grudge. He explained that Okraku had asked him to join Dreams FC, but he declined, which he believes led to a strained relationship with the GFA president.

"When I was in the Under 17, he [Kurt Okraku] wanted me to join his team, Dreams FC but unfortunately I couldn't join and he took it personal," he said.

"I think it's the GFA President who took out my passport from the U23 squad that travelled to Japan in 2021 for the friendlies. I think he had a personal problem with me."

Currently, Najeeb Yakubu plays for Kosovan club FC Prishtina.