Former Ghana international Sam Johnson has cautioned newly installed Black Stars Coach Charles Akonnor to steer clear of player agents who try to influence player selections, if he wants to be a success.

Akonnor took over the Black Stars mantle earlier this month as a replacement to James Kwasi Appiah.

The pressure has been heaved on the shoulders of the former Ghana skipper as football followers are eager to see the senior national football team return to the glory days of old.

Certainly CK Akonnor cannot afford to fail, and it is in this light that Sam Johnson wants him to stay clear of player agents who induce coaches to select their players into national teams.

In an interview with footballmadeinghana, Sam Johnson has criticized the practice and believes it robs committed players who genuinely deserve a chance such opportunities to represent the nation. He therefore wants CK Akonnor to slam shut the door at player agents who will be approaching him with tempting offers.

“We should call players who are ready to play the national team, players who are hungry, those who are committed to do it…When I was playing there was no agent who is calling me…and I went there and I proved myself…people pushed themselves to get there…we should have such committed people to play for the national team.” Johnson lamented to footballmadeinghana.

“He needs to travel, go out there and look for the player, don’t let somebody tell you take my player, we’ll sell this player, those things need to stop…somebody is playing, you don’t call him, you’ll call somebody else because of that agency things…we should stop all those things” he concluded.

CK Akonnor is in his first ever major role at the national team level albeit he served briefly as assistant to Akwasi Appiah. He has handled local premier league clubs like Eleven Wise, Asante Kotoko, Dreams FC, Hearts of Oak and AshantiGold SC.