Asante Kotoko goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim has claimed that Lawrence Ati-Zigi would have lost his place in the Black Stars if he was a local goalkeeper.

Ati-Zigi’s form after the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has been atrocious, with ten goals conceded in 5 games.

Danlad reasons that a locally-based goalie with such a record would have lost his place in the Black Stars, but Ati-Zigi will receive call-ups because he plies his trade abroad.

“After the AFCON, Ati-Zigi has not even won a game yet. He has conceded four goals and five goals in more than three games. If it were to be a local goalkeeper, he’d be done with the Black Stars,” he told Nationalist TV.

Danlad Ibrahim is currently experiencing a tough time at Kotoko, losing his starting spot to Frederick Asare.

He maintains that he lost his place in the Asante Kotoko starting team due to unfair treatment and harsh criticism of goalkeepers in the Ghana Premier League.

“It all started after the World Cup. It has nothing to do with performance. That, I can confidently say.”

“I played only one game after the World Cup. We lost 2-0 at Dawu. When I watched the highlights, there was no single goal that I was at fault for, but after the game, they said I was proud and I didn’t train well. So I didn’t play again.”

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He holds that local goalkeepers face unfair criticism after a spell with the Black Stars, which tends to affect their progress.

“If you look at the trend, they start attacking after every mistake. You can look at Richard Attah’s issue. Some of the mistakes are normal because you’re a human being, and it can happen.”

Danlad was tipped to be the future number-one goalie for the Black Stars, but his lack of games at Asante Kotoko has denied him a call-up since the World Cup in Qatar.

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Watch Danlad Ibrahim's interview below