Colchester United coach reacts to Kwame Opoku Afriyie’s Black Stars call-up

Colchester United interim coach Wayne Brown has opened up on Kwame Opoku Afriyie’s call-up into the senior national soccer team of Ghana, Black Stars ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Ahead of the qualifiers, Opoku who plays for English fourth tier side Colchester was named in Akonnor’s 29-man squad for the games against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

His selection shocked many Ghanaians who criticized the technical handlers of the team head by Akonnor for snubbing players plying their trade in the Ghana Premier League for a player who plays in the lower league in England.

When asked about Opoku’s selection into the Ghana team, the coach said, "You want to create an environment where it's going to be tough to get into the team, if the lads are doing the business on the pitch and they keep the shirt.

"All we do is we go out and pick 18 players in the squad - and 11 to start the game and subs - to try and win the game of football.

"That won't change - it won't change on Saturday and it won't change against Tranmere, on Tuesday.

"That's the position we're in and when you have got maybe 20 lads that have been in and around it all season, there is going to be disappointment and lads being left out but that's the nature of the beast."

The skillful attacker has found himself out of Colchester's starting line-up of late and was not involved in either of the club's last two games, at Salford City and Grimsby Town.

The 19-year old is reported to have been removed from the squad to join the Black Stars B team for the international friendly against Uzbekistan on Thursday.