Why no Ghana Premier League player made Black Stars squad for Angola games

The first selection of Chris Hughton as Black Stars coach came without a representation from the Ghana Premier League.

In the 25-man squad announced on March 9, 2023, not a single player from the Ghana Premier League made the cut and stands a possibility of playing against Angola on March 23 and March 27.

The snubbing of local players is yet another blow for the Ghana Premier League which has been enjoying some bad press recently.

GhanaWeb highlights three reasons behind the non-inclusion of Ghana-based players in Chris Hughton’s latest call-up.

Chris Hughton not leaving anything to chance

It is his first game as Ghana's coach and Chris Hughton will not want to start on a losing or drawing note.

Having been with the team for more than a year, Chris Hughton has an idea of players he can trust and rely on to get the results for Ghana.

He thus decided to go with the players he can trust instead of calling up players whose readiness he cannot vouch for.

Danlad’s occasional high-profile clangers

Of all the players in the Ghana Premier League, Ibrahim Danlad of Asante Kotoko appears to be the closest to getting a real look-in at the Black Stars.

He was part of the World Cup and has put up consistent displays for Kumasi Asante Kotoko in the ongoing season.

The problem with Danlad however is that there are big errors in his game. While his agility and shot-saving abilities are something to admire, his aerial ball abilities leave a lot to be desired.

Unfortunately for Danlad also, Jojo Wollacott who was the first-choice goalie for the team up until he picked up an injury prior to the World Cup has returned and assumed his place in the team.

Player exodus

This point cannot be belabored enough, Almost every month, players leave the Ghana Premier League to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

This means that the best talents are not retained in the country and hence not available for Black Stars selections.

An example could be made out of Daniel Afriyie Barnieh who was on top of his game at Hearts of Oak but has not hit the highs after moving to FC Zurich in the Swiss league.

Watch the latest edition of Sports Check and GhanaWeb Sports' take on Black Stars squad below





KPE