Frimpong Manso, one time national player and former skipper for Kumasi Asante Kotoko has said soccer in Ghana has declined woefully over the years because of our inability to keep players together and lack of incentives for the boys.

Manso told GNA sports on Thursday that as compared to the level of football in the country in the early 90's one would have expected that the country would by now be among the best in the world if not Africa.

"The issue of incentives for players is yet to be the priority of football administrators while consistent team building has been relegated to the background," Manso said. The former star said the nation's inability to keep players together has been the biggest down fall of her soccer and pointed out that Cameroon and Senegal are enjoying the fruits of players they have nurtured over the years.

He suggested that the country should form a local Black Stars team and not to fully rely on the so-called professionals. "Most of the local boys play active football every week while the majority of our foreign based players warm benches in foreign countries," he added.

Manso said Ghana soccer may claim its lost glory if the authorities would honour their promise and keep the current crop of Black Stars players together for the 2004 and 2006 tournaments.