Grant: I won’t shut door on locals

Black Stars coach, Avram Grant, has distanced himself from comments his agent made this week about the poor quality of players in the First Capital Plus League, assuring members of the Black Stars Management Committee that the national team is open to all players whether local or foreign.

The Israeli trainer reportedly lauded the level of talent in the Ghanaian, league during crunch talks with the Black Stars Management Committee in Accra yesterday, after his representative, Saif Rubie, had suggested that the quality of the league would rule-out local-based players from the national team.

The Black Stars Management Committee Chairman, George Afriyie, who met with the coach told the Graphic Sports yesterday that Grant assured the committee members that all talented players would be offered equal opportunities to make the Black Stars squad.

“The Black Stars team is for every Ghanaian everywhere and there is nothing like a local player and a foreign player,” Grant is quoted to have said.

According to Mr Afriyie, the coach insisted that he would continue to maintain the spine of his squads which he pegged at 80 per cent but left 20 per cent room for fringe players in order to justify their inclusion into the team.

“Eighty per cent of the team will always remain unless they are not doing well. You can change a maximum of 20 per cent and the only time you can change more than that is when they are not doing well,” Grant stressed.

He told the committee that contrary to popular criticisms, he had watched about eight league matches during the season and was impressed with the level of talent in the league, saying he would not hesitate to hand out Black Stars call-ups to outstanding local players, Mr Afriyie disclosed.

Grant arrived in Accra this week ahead of a 2017 Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda but his two-month absence prior to that had attracted criticism from Ghanaians because the league was in session.

Other members of the Stars Management Committee who met with Grant at the Alisa Hotel were Kwame Ofosu-Bamfo (Sikkens), Kwame Ayew, Ernest Thompson and Kudjoe Fianoo, with Yaw Boateng Gyan and Adam Munkaila absent.