Wakaso, Agyemang-Badu not permanently dropped from Black Stars squad - GFA

The Ghana Football Assocaition (GFA) has revealed that key players Mubarak Wakaso, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Razak Brimah has not been permanently dropped from the national even though they were excluded from the squad for next month's matches.

GFA spokesman Ibrahim Sannie Daara says coach Kwesi Appiah’s decision to exclude some regular players for the matches against Ethiopia, Mexico and USA is meant to give an opportunity to other players to showcase their talents.

Sannie Daara explained that coach Appiah will not apply the much-criticized ‘template’ system previous coach Avram Grant adopted, insisting that Appiah’s squad is a ‘progressive’ one.

He added that the chance to call some new players will give the coach the opportunity to see some new talents thereby invigorating intense competition for places in the squad.

As many as 11 players, who played at the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, were not given call-ups by the new coach, while seven locally-based players made the cut.

Daara explained to Asempa FM that the motivation behind Appiah’s decision is to create competition among the players in the team.

“It doesn’t mean he decided to axe the regular players but to give an opportunity to others players and create competition among the players in the team.”

“Kwesi Appiah doesn’t want to use what you guys (the media) called the 'template squad'as Grant did in the past.”

“Kwesi Appiah promised he would consider local players when he was unveiled, and he has kept his promise.”

“Those regulars players he dropped are players he knows already but in doing so he maintained the spine of the squad,” Sannie Daara stated.

There were some major call-ups by Kwesi Appiah including goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey, who missed the recent Afcon due to injury, has been invited.

Jerry Akaminko, Qatar-based Rashid Sumaila and Columbus Crew midfielder Mohammed Abu, who all never played under immediate-past Ghana coach Avram Grant, have been called up.

Munich 1860 left-back Lumor Agbenyenu, Turkey-based Isaac Sackey, Kingsley Sarfo of Swedish side Sirius and NAC Breda winger Thomas Agyepong are among the debutants.

Ghana play Ethiopia in the 2019 Afcon qualifiers on June 11 before facing Mexico and the USA on June 28 and July 1 respectively in friendly games.