Former Ghana head coach James Kwasi Appiah claims he was threatened by Ghana FA officials for inviting Mohammed Kudus to the Black Stars during his second spell.
Kudus made his Ghana debut in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa in November 2019 at the Cape Coast stadium, playing under Appiah.
When he was introduced in the second half of the match, the former Ghana U17 and U20 player scored on his first appearance.
Appiah, on the other hand, claims he would have lost his job if Ghana had not defeated Bafana Bafana in that game.
"Not only [Mohammed] Kudus, but also some other young players. "Some people thought the young players didn't deserve to be called up to the Black Stars," he said in an interview with Dan Kweku Yeboah TV.
"However, I had observed them and believed them. I always told my players to prove themselves to Ghanaians, not to me. It is in your best interests to succeed.
"My job was on the line because I was warned that if I lost the match I will be sacked. I didn't mind because I knew I was doing the right thing by the country."
Appiah's team defeated South Africa 2-0 in that match, and Kudus has since been a regular member of Ghana's national team.