Include local players in Black Stars squad to promote GPL - FA Cup Chairman tells Otto Addo

Chairman of the FA Cup Committee, Wilson Arthur, has urged for a deliberate effort to include more local players in the Black Stars squad to bolster the local league.

In the recent squad selections by Otto Addo, only Frederick Asare of Asante Kotoko was included in the 26-man roster for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.

In an interview, Mr. Arthur, who also owns Division One League club Skyy FC, emphasized the need to feature more local talent in the national team to elevate the Ghana Premier League.

"As long as we continue to prioritize and give more opportunities to foreign-based players, every Ghana Premier League player will aim to move abroad to be considered for the senior national team," he told Channel One TV.

"We need to intentionally select more local players and bring in some of these exceptional foreign players to support them. It should be the other way around. When we do this, many quality players will stay because they know that if they perform well, they are more likely to make the national team, which will, in turn, strengthen our league," he added.

The Black Stars are set to return to action in September for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.