Kevin-Prince Boateng recently opened up about his decision to represent Ghana over Germany at the senior international level, shedding light on the factors that influenced his choice.
Boateng, who initially played for Germany at the youth levels up to the U-21 category, decided to switch allegiances to Ghana in June 2009. This shift in nationality came after he received his Ghanaian passport in May 2010.
In a conversation with Vibe with Five, Boateng explained his decision, stating that while it was destiny for him to play for the German national team due to his involvement at the youth levels, he ultimately didn’t see himself fitting in with the senior squad. He cited his strong-willed and independent personality as one of the reasons for this.
“I played for Germany up to the U-21 level, so it was destined I was going to play for the German national team, but I didn’t see myself there because I’m a guy who says what he thinks and won’t always do what the coaches tell me to do,” Boateng explained. “With this back and forth with Germany, our relationship wasn’t good.”
Boateng emphasised that, despite his unquestionable talent, his character and strong personality didn’t align with the expectations of the German national team. He was concerned about the potential for conflicts with the coaching staff and decided to pursue a different path.
“I didn’t want to go and maybe get the chance to play for the German national team and things go South again and the whole country would hate me, so I said I would take the road and play for my black [Ghana] and make them proud,” he added.
While Kevin-Prince Boateng opted to represent Ghana, his paternal half-brother, Jérôme Boateng, who is also a professional footballer, chose to continue playing for Germany. Jérôme represented Germany at various youth levels before making his senior team debut in 2009.
Boateng went on to represent Ghana in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, in 2010 and 2014, during his four-year stint with the Black Stars. He earned 15 caps for Ghana and scored two goals before announcing his retirement from international football in August 2023.