Don’t invite “Local Players” and put them on the bench- Kotoko Coach to Black Stars Technical Team

Kumasi Asante Kotoko Sporting Club head coach, Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum, has called on the technical team of Ghana’s National Men’s Football Team, the Black Stars, to invite players from the Ghana Premier League and have them feature in games and not put them on the bench.

He said this in a pre-game interview ahead of Kotoko’s MTN FA Cup quarterfinal clash against True Democracy at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday, March 30, at 19:00 GMT.

After praising Accra Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare and Nations FC defender, Razak Simpson, for their fine performances for the Black Stars, he called on the Black Stars technical team that is led by Otto Addo to feature more Ghana League players actively in the team.

“They need to scout deeper and deeper in the [Ghana] league and when they are able to do that, I’m sure they will have a backlog of locally good talented players who when given the opportunity, can play.”

“To me, they shouldn’t just scout local players and go and put them on the bench. They should scout players who when given the chance, will be able to compete.”

Simpson featured in Ghana’s 3-0 win over Madagascar while Asare started in the same game and did same in a 5-0 win over Chad; both wins were in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.