Black Stars poor show attributed to use of foreign- based players

Kumasi, July 27,GNA-The poor performance of the national soccer team, the Black Stars in recent times, has been attributed to the inclusion of foreign- based players in the team.

Mr. Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, Immediate Past President of the Youth in Action, a network of youth groups, explained that when integrated into the national team, the foreign- based players normally claim superiority over the local players and therefore refuse to co-operate with them in the field of play.

Mr. Appiah who made the observation when he presented three footballs to the Maakro Peace Club, a social group in Kumasi at the weekend said such arrogance by the foreign- based players consequently results in the local players also refusing to co-ordinate with them. He said, "this aside, the foreign- based players also extend their disrespect and insolence to the coaches and technical handlers, thereby jeopardizing all efforts to fully integrate them with the local players to chalk any victories in matches".

To address the persistent trend of defeats by the Black Stars in tournaments, Mr. Appiah suggested that only local players should be used to form the nucleus of the national team.

He said the Authorities should go beyond mere offering of training to them, and institute pension schemes and good remuneration packages for the players just as they do for officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) when they are going on retirement.

He was optimistic that such packages, backed by the provision of soft loans to enable the local players to own their own houses, could go a long way to "make them commit themselves fully to the goals of the Black Stars and record victories in their matches."

Mr. Richard Marfo, secretary of the Maakro Peace club, who received the items, assured the donor that they would be judiciously used. Mr. Marfo said for the objectives of the youth in the country to be fully pursued, it was vital that they got actively involved, not only in presidential and parliamentary elections, but elections at all levels of the democratic process.