Fight for Black Stars starting spots...Coach Akonnor challenges local players

Former Black Stars Coach, Charles Kwablan Akonnor, has urged local players invited to the national team to prove their worth in training and earn a place in the starting lineup.

Speaking to the Graphic Sports in an interview yesterday, the ex-Ghana captain emphasised that while the inclusion of local players in the squad was commendable, it did not guarantee them automatic playing time. 

He explained that these players must convince the technical team, led by Coach Otto Addo, that they deserved to be on the pitch in order to be given the opportunity.

"They have been invited, and at training, if they show a good sign that they want to play, they have to convince the technical team that they are not just bench players but are here to start," Akonnor stated, adding: "If they give the coach that signal, he wouldn’t hesitate to use them because his goal is to play and win matches with the best players available."

His comments come amid calls from some Ghanaians for Otto Addo to give local players more opportunities rather than relegating them to the bench and overconcentrating on the foreign-based players.

However, Akonnor believes that providing local talents with a chance to compete at the national level is a motivation for others in the domestic league to work harder and charged the three invited local players to give the coach reasons to invite more local players.

While he expressed excitement about the inclusion of local players, he also wished for more of them to be considered. 

However, he acknowledged that their continued selection would depend on how well they performed in training and during matches.

"You wish that the local players were more, but the fact that now and then we add them to the squad is encouraging," he said. 

"It's an opportunity for them to showcase their talent, do well, and hope that in the near future, more will be given the chance," the former Wolfsburg star noted.

Coach Otto Addo has recently invited a few local-based players- Benjamin Asare of Hearts of Oak, Razak Simpson of Nations FC and Kamaradini Mamudu of Medeama SC to join the national team, but many fans believe they deserve more than just squad places.