Ghana striker Prince Tagoe tells out-of-form players to decline national team call ups

Published on: 21 February 2014
Ghana striker Prince Tagoe tells out-of-form players to decline national team call ups
Ghana striker Prince Tagoe

By Ameenu Shardow, follow on Twitter @alooameenu

Ghana striker Prince Tagoe wants players to be honest enough to decline national team call ups when it is clear they are not on their best form.

Tagoe’s comments bring into sharp focus the criteria used to select players into the Black Stars.

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has not been certain on a single criterion in handing players international call ups.

The Black Stars call ups over the years have been inconsistent with issues raised about the form of some of the players invited for sometimes very vital games.

This fuels the perception of favouritism within the Black Stars set up with some players being chosen even when they don’t play regularly for their clubs.

The usual excuse for handing such players call ups is that ‘they have experience’ which is vital to the success of football teams.

Striker Prince Tagoe is however asking players to be ‘honest’ enough to admit they don’t deserve national team call ups by rejecting invites when they are clearly struggling with their form or risk disgracing themselves.

“At the end of the day – I am being honest here – when you have the playing time the coach can assess you but when you don’t have the playing time a call up will be some way,” Tagoe told GHANAsoccernet.com.

“I have been in it [Black Stars] before and when you don’t have the playing time and you use the back door to come in, it will show.

“So at the end of the day, accept defeat or whatever it is that you don’t have the playing time and if they don’t call you just accept it.

“And then sit back and support the team 100 percent but don’t try to force your way in, you will give the coach problems.

“When the coach calls you be honest and tell the coach ‘please I don’t have the playing time and I can’t do it’.

“Because we want Ghana to bring the World Cup home and therefore people must be honest.”

Brazilian superstar Kaka had once declined a national team call – pleading he had just returned from injury and was yet to regain his form at his club.

This practice is however yet to be seen in Ghanaian players who are eagerly awaiting call ups to the national team especially as the 2014 World Cup approaches.

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