Former Ghana international, Yaw Preko says the exclusion of home-based players from the Black Stars squad ahead of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers against Angola is a challenge thrown to local players to punch above their weights.

Black Stars head coach, Chris Hughton, named a 25-man for the AFCON doubleheader against Angola with no home-based player in the team, a decision which has left the country divided.

Ghana’s Black Galaxies earlier this year competed for the 2022 CHAN in Algeria, a tournament in which they exited following a 2-0 loss to Niger in the quarterfinal stage having just one game in the group stage to progress.

However, Coach Yaw Preko, speaking to Happy FM said, "The selected home-based players who represented Ghana at the CHAN tournament didn’t do the other local players a favor. They struggled in the competition, individually too, they couldn’t do much so it’s the coach is justified to have not selected them”

“I will not begrudge Chris Hughton for not calling any home-based player because it is still early days and he is a new coach.

“This however is a challenge thrown to the home-based players to try and raise their game,” he told Joe Debrah host of Wamputu Sports.

Ghana will host Angola at the Baba Yara Stadium on March 24 before travelling for the return leg four days later.