Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus has revealed the importance of playing for the national team as the Black Stars prepare to kick off their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast on Sunday.

The Black Stars under Chris Hughton will face Cape Verde in their opener and the West Ham United player is anxious to make his AFCON debut after missing the last edition in Cameroon two years ago.

Speaking with ghanafa.org, Kudus who is one of the key players for Hughton, underscored the significance of playing for the national team.

“As a professional player you going to change clubs, it’s very likely that you going to play for a lot of teams but your country and your national team remain the same. So for me to be part of the squad in a country of 30 million is a huge privilege that comes with a lot of responsibilities so I don’t joke with national team football,” said Kudus.

”It’s a big privilege for me, my family and everyone. There is a lot pressure from the country and you literally playing for the whole nation so representing my country is a big privilege and I always see it a big opportunity to make the people happy so we going to do our best for the country.

“I am fully committed to it. I always do my best when I am in the shirt so we just urge the fans for more support and prayers and we are going to do our best in the tournament.”