Kwadwo Asamoah’s reflections on the decline of local talent in the Black Stars highlight a significant shift in Ghanaian football standards. He noted that the reduced presence of players from the Ghana Premier League reflects a drop in the standard of domestic football.
Asamoah, a former Ghana international, played at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and assisted Asamoah Gyan’s goal against Portugal in 2014. He expressed his preference for playing as a playmaker, stating, “I prefer playing as a playmaker; that’s my natural role.” However, he accepted the left-back position out of respect for then-head coach Kwesi Appiah.
He emphasized that during his playing days, clubs like Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak made the domestic league very competitive. He remarked, “Back then, playing for the Black Stars wasn’t that difficult. At that time, our local league was very competitive; looking at Kotoko, Hearts and even Liberty, AshGold, King Faisal.” This competitive environment helped develop many top talents who later moved abroad.
Asamoah pointed out that Benjamin Asare is currently the only consistent home-based player in the Black Stars squad over the past year. He stated, “Because now we are not getting most of these local players into the national team is because of the way our league system has been these days.” The pathway for Ghanaian footballers to reach international levels appears weakened.
Observers expect further discussions on how to improve domestic league competition and restore its former glory. The future of local talent development remains uncertain as Ghanaian football navigates these challenges.
