Former Kumasi Asante Kotoko gaffer Razak Abdul Karim has told Ghanaian clubs to stop cashing in on their best players to their competing opponents if they aim at winning the CAF competition.
The 59-year-old tactician believes the poor run of performance exhibited by Ghanaian clubs in the CAF inter-club competitions are down to the selling of standout players to other African teams who participate in the continent’s competition.
The abysmal performance by Ghana’s top-flight contingents in the CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup has led to the reduction of the country’s four slots to two thus one for each competition for the past four seasons.
“We’re supposed to have four teams in Africa. Two in the Champions League and the other two in the Confederations Cup. But because our clubs are not performing, our slots have been reduced to one each,” Razak laments in an exclusive interview with footballmadeinghana.com
“If our clubs need to perform well by progressing to the group stages and even win the competition; then we must stop selling our best players to those North and other African countries who all participate in the competitions,” he asserted.
“We can’t rub shoulders with them while we continue to sell our best players to them. Our clubs here are cash trapped and are only interested in the money, but then they will never recruit any players to replace them.”
However, the ex-Stade Malian coach has touted the clubs who recruit Ghanaian players to compete in the leagues and says it is a plus to them as well as the Ghanaian contingents plying their trade at those clubs.
“Those North and other African clubs always use our players to perform in the competitions, “he noted.
“They will take Kotoko and other clubs best players from Ghana and you will see them winning the accolades. A typical example is TP Mazembe, who have five Ghanaian players and have won the trophy once again just last year. Their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup competition alone is a plus for them and even our players,”
“It will be difficult for our clubs here in Ghana to import North African players, but then those Western and Central Africans have good players that can help our clubs to also do well. We can also go for their services and compete in Africa. Mali is a good place you can recruit players,” he concluded.
AshantiGold SC and Medeama SC will be the two clubs to represent Ghana in this year’s CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively.
