Bechem United coach Kwaku Danso has joined the growing calls for more local players to be included in the Black Stars squad.
In recent years, Ghanaian players plying their trade in the domestic league have struggled to break into the Black Stars squad, with only two home-based players, Asante Kotoko’s Frederick Asare and Samartex’s Isaac Afful, getting call-ups into the senior national team.
Speaking to Akoma FM, Danso emphasized that while there is a strong desire to see local players represent the national team, many are simply not yet ready for the challenge at the international level.
“There is a common call for local players to be included in the Black Stars, but my concern is that even when they are called up, they often don’t get any playing time,” Danso said.
“Local players should be selected based on merit, and they need to be ready to compete for a spot in the team.”
Danso also compared overseas-based players, noting that even some Ghanaians playing in countries like Jordan and Cyprus have not been called up because they don’t meet the required standards.
“Although they are all Ghanaians and eligible to play for the Black Stars, many players based abroad, like those in Jordan and Cyprus, are not called because they do not meet the standard,” he explained.
After nine rounds of the ongoing Ghana Premier League season, Danso observed that local players still have a lot of ground to cover in terms of their level of play.
“I haven’t played against every team in the league yet, but from the games we’ve played so far, the local players are not quite there yet. They need to improve if they want to make the jump to the Black Stars,” he added.
With the final round of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Angola and Niger fast approaching, Ghana coach Otto Addo is set to announce his squad in the coming days.
The question of home-based players’ inclusion remains a topic of debate as the national team looks ahead to securing qualification for next year’s tournament.
