Head coach of the Black Galaxies, Annor Walker, has explained the rationale behind his decision to initially leave Seidu Suraj out of the travelling team to Egypt.

The Hearts of Oak midfielder was not part of the team that travelled to Cairo last month to continue their preparation ahead of the 2023 African Nations Championships (CHAN), a move that had a lot of people talking.

However, Walker has revealed Hearts wrote to the Ghana Football Association to have the services of the player as league action continued.

"Suraj was one of my key players who helped in qualifying the team [to the CHAN tournament] but unfortunately Hearts wrote to the FA that they needed two of their players, that fell on Suraj and Caleb Amankwah," he said.

"So I had to send Suraj out off the list so he could join the Hearts team. But later, I realised I still need him so I told management and they spoke to Hearts and the club had to release him for us."

The midfielder is among a host of other players from the Phobians who are in camp with the Black Galaxies, the others being Gladson Awako, Konadu Yiadom and Dennis Korsah.