Salim Adams Shines as Black Stars Talk Intensifies
On a hot afternoon at the TnA Stadium, with the title race tightening and nerves fraying, Salim Adams didn’t blink. He simply took the game by the scruff of the neck.
Two goals, a commanding midfield display and a man-of-the-match performance later, the Medeama SC midfielder walked off the pitch to a roar that sounded like something more than just appreciation for three points. It sounded like a plea: this is a player ready for the next level.
Medeama’s win over Gold Stars in Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash did more than settle a key fixture in the Ghana Premier League. It pushed them four points clear at the summit with four games to go, and it thrust Adams right into the heart of the national-team conversation.
The 22-year-old has been one of the league’s form players this season, the kind of consistent, high-energy presence that tilts tight matches. He has driven Medeama’s push towards what would be only their second league title, dictating tempo, snapping into tackles, and now, adding decisive goals on the biggest domestic stage.
The noise around him is growing. Adams, though, is not joining the chorus.
Asked about his chances of forcing his way into the Black Stars squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, he stripped the situation down to its simplest truth.
“Everything depends on Carlos Queiroz. I’m ready for a Black Stars call-up,” he said.
No grandstanding. No public campaign. Just a clear statement of readiness and a firm acknowledgement that the decision rests with the man in charge.
Queiroz has already had a close look. The Medeama midfielder was among several home-based players monitored by the Portuguese coach during recent Black Galaxies friendlies against Heart of Lions and Aduana FC. Those games, low-key on the surface, have taken on a different weight as Ghana edges towards naming its squad.
There is a growing sense that this Black Stars cycle could open the door a little wider for locally based players. Performances like Adams’ against Gold Stars make that argument difficult to ignore.
The timing is tight and unforgiving. Queiroz is expected to name his squad by June 1. Ghana’s World Cup campaign begins on June 17 against Panama in Toronto, before clashes with England and Croatia raise the bar even higher.
By then, Medeama will know whether their title charge has ended in history. Adams will know whether his form has carried him from Tarkwa to the global stage.
For now, he keeps running games in the league, keeps scoring when it matters, and keeps his answer the same: he is ready. The rest is Carlos Queiroz’s call.
