Charles Akonnor to shakeup Black Stars squad
Coach Charles Kwablan Akonnor has hinted a major shakeup in the team as he prepares for the Black Stars Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers next month.
The ex-Black Stars skipper led the team for the first time in two separate friendly games in Turkey, where they lost the first game by 0-3 to Mali before making amends with a 5-1 thrashing of Asian giants Qatar.
Four of coach Akonnor’s players couldn’t honour the invitation due to injury and inability to acquire a work permit, it included the likes of Kudus Mohammed, John Antwi, Richard Ofori, and Lumor Agbenyenu.
But Akonnor has promised to invite them for the next qualifier.
“But of course, the likes of Kudus, John Antwi, Richard Ofori and Agbenyenu were not here but I believe that some of them will be joining us very soon for the next qualifying game, the coach told Ghanafa.org in an interview.
He explained that all the players were able to show their strength and what they are capable of doing and disclosed that he has about 40 players on his data and would access each individual’s strength base on the particular game to be played.
“Well it is tough enough to get the players who couldn’t make it on board for the next game. But the players who came, everybody has shown his talent, what he can do and what he cannot do.
“Most probably, we have around 40 players in our data, it means that when we are going to a match and we look at the strength of the opponent, we look at the qualities we have and what can be efficient and effective for us and we make the call ups.
He said he would continue to monitor the players while his assistant would also be working on the local squad and assured of assembling the best of quality for the next assignment.
“Well, I will have the chance to watch some games with our current squad, and of course my assistant will also have his role to play in terms of our local guys.
“He will work on players in the local league when the season starts and I believe that the day we assemble the squad, we would have done a good job interns of bringing the right players on board”, he said.