Coach Sarpong unhappy with Black Stars team overhaul

Coach Joseph E. Sarpong, one of the veteran technical handlers in the country, has said the widespread invitation of new players into the Black Stars could disorganise the structure of the team and affect performance on the field.

His assertion comes after the Black Stars suffered a 3-0 thumping at the hands of Eagles of Mali, last Friday, in an international friendly match at the Emir Sports Complex in Antalya, Turkey.

In an interview with the GNA Sports, the experienced gaffer was worried about the dreadful performance of the Stars and fears for the future of the team.

"Kwasi Appiah had some players who formed a core of the Black Stars, but if you go on a rampage inviting more players you could disrupt the structure of the team.

"I know every coach has his philosophy and players who would fit into his tactics, but I think Coach Charles K. Akunnor should just have added a few players to make the team more consistent," he said.

Coach Sarpong added that "the friendly against Mali was a test case for the Black Stars new hierarchy but it turned out to be an abysmal performance and below expectation from the team.

"No department of the game clicked and we were playing against a compact team who knew what to do with the ball.

"At a point it seemed like a training match for the Black Stars and our players who struggled to put together passes or create chances in front of goal and the entire team was not focused".

Coach Sarpong was hopeful that the team would lift up their game against Asian Champions Qatar on Monday and believes the results of that match would show the direction of the team.

Coach Sarpong was also worried over how it had become difficult for Ghana to beat her West African neighbours, adding that all stakeholders in the football industry should come together to deal with the situation else Ghana would be left behind.

"The likes of Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, among others are fast improving and catching fast on us. We must try and find a solution to do that in the shortest possible time otherwise qualification to the AFCON could even become a problem," he said.