Veteran Ghanaian coach Joseph Emmanuel Sarpong has questioned the continued absence of locally based players from the Black Stars.
Sarpong said the limited presence of players from the Ghana Premier League makes it difficult to properly assess the strength and quality of the domestic competition.
Speaking during an interview, the experienced coach argued that local players are often considered not good enough for the national team while playing in Ghana.
According to him, some of these players later move abroad and receive Black Stars call-ups after spending only a short period with foreign clubs.
“We don’t know whether the local league is good or not because of the absence of the local boys,” Sarpong said.
He added that players who are overlooked while featuring in the domestic league can later become national team candidates after securing moves to clubs outside Ghana.
“They say the local boys are not good enough to play in the Black Stars, but it is the same boys who travel and, after one or two years, suddenly get invited to the national team,” he added.
The Black Stars have traditionally featured a large number of Ghanaian players based in foreign leagues, while opportunities for players from the Ghana Premier League have been more limited.
