Former Ghana international Augustine Arhinful contends that local players are not ready to join the senior national team, the Black Stars.
His remarks come amid increasing discussions regarding the Black Stars’ makeup and the involvement of domestic players.
Suggestions have been made for the new coaching staff to establish a team with a mix of local and foreign players.
However, Ahinful warns against overlooking the contributions of foreign-based players, citing their valuable experience and exposure to higher levels of competition as critical for the team’s success.
“While we can consider the best local players for national team selection, we shouldn’t rely solely on them,” he explained to Graphic Sports.
The former striker pointed to the disappointing performance of the local Black Stars at the recent Championship of Africa Nations (CHAN) tournament in Algeria as evidence.
Ghana did not progress beyond the group stage, prompting Ahinful to question whether local players are prepared to compete at the highest level without the guidance of more seasoned teammates.
“Last year, during the CHAN competition in Algeria, our local Black Stars were there and we didn’t even qualify from the group stage.
“Given their performance, can we expect the same players to compete in the AFCON?” he queried.
In Ghana’s March friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda, Kotoko goalkeeper Frederick Asare was called.
The Black Stars will regroup in June for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.
