Former Ghana international Nii Odartey Lamptey has said Ghanaian players are forced to travel abroad for greener conditions due to meagre earnings.
A video of about more than 20 Ghanaian footballers who are stuck in Ethiopia went viral last week.
The players were pleading with Ghana government to help them return to the country after they were left stranded following the cancellation of the Ethiopian football season.
Ghana's borders have been closed since mid-March as a measure to prevent the widespread of the global pandemic coronavirus.
However, the former RSC Anderlecht and Aston Villa midfielder has come to the defence of the players, claiming they moved out of the country for greener pastures.
Lamptey says the players will not go to Ethiopia and other countries to play if their entitlements in Ghana were lucrative.
"The problem is that players in Ghana think they are not getting enough money here so they go elsewhere. Who are you to advise him not to go? At the end of the day, everyone talks about life after football so you have to take care of yourself," Lamptey told Joy FM.
"If we are not able to change our attitude and pay our players well, this thing won’t change. I understand that sponsorship is a problem so some of the clubs find it difficult to pay players but I’m sure we have a lot of huge companies in Ghana."
Moreover, the former Eleven Wise coach believes that the Ghana FA President Kurt Okraku and his administration will find innovative ways to combat the problem.
"With this new FA [led by Kurt], I believe he is doing things behind the scenes. We should be able to bounce back. Clubs should be able to get sponsors and we should be able to pay players well. I was very sad to see the players in the videos from Ethiopia, India and others."