Ghana coach Charles Akonnor intends to give local players more opportunities to feature in the senior national team, Black Stars under his tenure.
In recent years, local players have struggled to get call-ups by Black Stars coaches but Akonnor wants to change the narrative.
The former Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak coach believes there is an abundance of talent in the Ghana Premier League just like it was during his playing days. He recalls during his time as Black Stars player majority of the players were based in Ghana.
In first Ghana squad for the postponed 2021 AFCON qualifiers against Sudan, he included four Ghana Premier League players, Yahaya Mohammed, Kwadwo Amoako, Richard Attah and Habib Mohammed.
“It is up to the locals [local players] honestly. We will give them a chance, we will encourage them. Even I had plans before we assembled the team. I have a psychologist to talk to them before they join the camp and so the challenge is up to them," he told GFA media team.
“I would like to give the chance to the locals more. When I started playing [for Black Stars], the likes of Frimpong Manso, Armah Senegal and Salifu Ansah the goalkeeper, they were senior guys. We had a majority of locals in the team. I started playing as a local player before I travelled abroad. It has changed and I think it is up to us to try as much as we can to improve that area because there is a big gap.”
Akonnor was appointed in January, replacing Kwesi Appiah who had been in charge for two and a half years.