Sports News of Thursday, 5 November 2020

Source: footballghana.com

CK Akonnor will invite local players at the right time - GFA boss Kurt Okraku

GFA President, Kurt E.S Okraku GFA President, Kurt E.S Okraku

President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Okraku has said that Black Stars coach Charles Akonnor will invite local players at the right time.

CK Akonnor recently named a 23-man squad for next month’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan without any player from the Ghana Premier League.

Ghana will host Sudan at the Cape Coast stadium on Thursday, November 12, before traveling to Khartoum to face the Falcons five days later in the reverse fixture.

"Nobody will build a national team without giving opportunities to players who play in Ghana. But the truth is that we have not played football in Ghana since March so you cannot select."

"In the goalkeeping department, we had to not necessarily consider every factor before making the call-ups. Because maybe you want to invite Kwame Bash but he's not been active. He is one of the promotion players on the local front having played for the U20 and U23. Again, maybe you want to invite Richard Attah but he's not been active," he told Hello FM.

"We recently started our preseason which is still ongoing and, the coach will find it difficult to invite players who play within Ghana."

Okraku added, "Razak Abalora had the opportunity because he wasn't home for long after leaving Azam, and having gone to Turkey he's okay now to be considered again."

"CK Akonnor and all the other coaching national teams will always give opportunities to players who play in Ghana especially when the player is top quality."