Nyantakyi dissents on quota for domestic players for Black Stars

Ghana FA Boss Kwesi Nyantakyi has kicked against a recent call for Coach Avram Grant to hand locally based players a quota for selection into the Black Stars, stating that it will not make sense.

Premier League Board Chairman Welbeck Abrah Appiah recently criticized Coach Grant for naming only one local based player in his squad for the friendly matches against Senegal and Mali, suggesting that his neglect of home-based talents is killing the Ghana Premier League.

Though Abrah Appiah believes a quota should be reserved for home based players, Kwesi Nyantakyi insists it is not unrealistic.

“Are you going to bench Asamoah Gyan, Agyemang Badu or Andre Ayew just because Gilbert Fiamenyo or Nathaniel is our best player in the domestic league? I don’t think it will make sense. There is some populism in that view, but I don’t think (quota) is the best way to select players for the team,” Nyantakyi told DailySoccerGhana.com.

“Every national team selects its best players, regardless of where they ply their trade. It is never intended to downplay or disregard locally based players. We always encourage locally based players to do that, but your best player who plies his trade in the local league may be competing with your best player who plies his trade abroad,” he added.

After monitoring two domestic league matches, the former Chelsea Boss did not name any other home based player in his 22-man squad for the test matches on March 28 in Le Havre and 31 in Paris asides AshantiGold SC goalkeeper Fatau Dauda.