Indispensable? Boxer Joshua Clottey wants Muntari at AFCON

The Black Stars have arrived at their Spain pre-tournament camp for the Africa Cup of Nations without indefinitely suspended Sulley Ali Muntari of course, but boxer Joshua Clottey has waded into controversy over the strength of the national team by calling on Coach Avram Grant to call-up the AC Milan star for the continental showpiece.

Clottey, the former boxing world champion who is also so good at football many reckon he could have been a really good footballer had boxing not been his calling, has lambasted the Israeli trainer of the Black Stars for failing to name Sulley in the now 25-man squad preliminary squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

The former IBF Welterweight champion believes the AC Milan midfield strongman is essential to the success of the national team in Equatorial Guinea.

"We need Sulley for the AFCON," Clottey told Accra based radio station, Starr FM.

"He is a Ghanaian and definitely they will call him back one day and that day is now. I am not saying this because I know Sulley Muntari or he is my friend, I am saying this because we need him," Clottey added.

Muntari fell out with national team bosses when he clashed with a GFA Executive Committee member at the Black Stars' 2014 World Cup camp resulting in his sack from Brazil along with an indefinite suspension and despite the trip by new coach, Avram Grant to meet the player over a possible return, Sulley was still omitted from the Africa Cup party.

'At the end of the day, Grant does not know anything about Sulley being disrespectful to the GFA so if it was left to Grant alone he would call Sulley but maybe there are people around the man convincing him not to call Sulley,' the boxer asserted.

"When you call him and he doesn't come, then he knows that Ghana called him and he doesn't want to come and play but stop this talk about he not being respectful,' Clottey insisted. Follow @thedonplato