Augustine Ahinful advocates for balanced approach in Black Stars player selection

Former Ghana striker Augustine Ahinful has underscored the importance of adopting a balanced approach to player selection for the Black Stars, emphasising that the team cannot solely rely on locally based players.

Amidst discussions on strengthening the national team by primarily focusing on domestic talent, Ahinful acknowledges the significance of integrating talented local players into the squad but cautions against overdependence on them.

While advocating for the inclusion of some local players to gain experience with the Black Stars, Ahinful believes it would be unwise to expect them to single-handedly deliver results in major tournaments.

He stated, “I’m not saying some of them don’t deserve to be in the team. I’m saying that some players should join the national team to gain experience and build themselves into the team properly, but we cannot rely solely on local players for the Black Stars,” as reported by Graphic Sports.

Reflecting on past generations of the Black Stars, Ahinful noted that a majority of the squad comprised locally based players.

However, he acknowledged the evolution of football, with more players now plying their trade abroad.

He highlighted the maturity and experience of past local players, contrasting them with the current crop, whom he believes may not be as prepared for the rigours of international competition.

”Gone are the days when players were very mature. Back then, all the backline players of the national team were locally based. When I started following the national team, almost 80 per cent were local-based because professional football outside of Ghana was not as common,” he explained.

Black Stars will return to action in June with games against Mali and Central African Republic in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.