The Western Region Football Association Chairman, Simon Ehomah, is proposing a 50-50 composition of the senior national men’s soccer team, the Black Stars.
He said some of the players called up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations were not fit and those fit were not committed to wear the national jersey.
Speaking passionately on Agoro Fie on Onua TV on Tuesday, February 6, Mr Ehomah laid the blame of Ghana’s poor showing in the tournament at the doorstep of the technical and playing body.
“Don’t put the blame on the GFA, it is the playing body and the technical team,” he stressed.
He said some of the Black Stars players played as if they were begged to play for the national team.
The Regional FA Chairman said commitment on the part of the players was nothing to write home about while the technical team led by Chris Hughton lost control of the dressing room.
“No wonder he left after the exit of the team,” Mr Ehomah said of Chris Hughton.
“Has he talked? Why is he not talking? Because everything was done for him by the GFA.”
The football administrator is, therefore, proposing a 50 percent quota for foreign-based players into the national team and a cancellation of bonuses for them.
“This will ensure that they don’t come to play for money and will fight to be part of the 50 percent.”
He said the current crop of foreign-based players do not care even if the team loses.
“As professionals, see what happened after 89 minutes of our games. Is that how professionals behave? Even if the coach is not good, can’t you be professional on the field?” he fumed.
Mr Ehomah’s proposal follows a suggestion by former President John Dramani Mahama to have home-grown players form the core of the Black Stars.
Mr Mahama was speaking after the team’s “abysmal” performance at the 34th AFCON.
“If you bring only foreign players, they don’t play together, they play in their individual teams and then when it’s time for competitions you bring them together and come and tell them to play, it won’t work,” he told party supporters at Zebilla in the Upper East Region.
‘Foreign coach not local’
On a new coach for the Black Stars, Mr Ehomah said a foreign coach is best to handle the new Black Stars.
He said the local coaches are known and most of them are not up to the task to handle the Black Stars.
