Frimpong Manso, a former Black Stars player and the head coach of the Bibiani Goldstars, has pointed out that although local players are frequently called up to the national team, they rarely get the opportunity to have a significant effect on the pitch.
The Black Stars are set to conclude their qualifiers with an away match against Angola’s Palancas Negras in Luanda, followed by a home game against Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, November 18.
Speaking on the Game on GHOne TV, Frimpong Manso pointed out that these locally based players are often left warming the bench during Black Stars games, with few opportunities to showcase their abilities in competitive matches.
“They’ve not been given enough time for those who were invited before and then now. They will go and then warm the bench and then will come back. So, how do we know that they can play or not? So for me, if you want to assess them, whether they can or not, we need to give them playing time.”
“Especially if we see that maybe our chance of qualifying is very slim, we can give two of them the time to play and then we see. But even if we lose, there’s nothing at stake. And even if we win against them, it’s not a loss between the two of them. So, for me, I think we need to give them the time,” he told GHOne TV.
With Niger’s 4-0 victory over Sudan, the Black Stars now occupy the bottom spot in the group, a disappointing position for a team of Ghana’s pedigree. However, Ghana must secure back-to-back wins in their remaining matches against Angola and Niger.
The Black Stars will play their match against Angola in Luanda on November 15 and wrap up with Niger on November 18 at Accra Sports Stadium.
