Black Stars’ technical team urged to reassess Inaki Williams’ role ahead of AFCON 2023

Former Ghana goalkeeper Abukari Damba has called on the technical team of Black Stars to reassess the role of Inaki Williams in the team.

Damba believes that Williams, who has scored six goals in 14 appearances for Bilbao this season, is not being utilised effectively at the national team level.

In an interview with Citi Sports, Damba acknowledged Williams’ quality but questioned whether he is being provided with the necessary support to excel.

“Even with individual players, they need certain ingredients to function optimally in the game,” Damba said.

“Inaki Williams, we all see him scoring at his club level, how is he performing? Is he scoring? Why is he scoring, maybe he is receiving the right services at the right place, and at the right time, for which he is responsible to score.”

Damba suggested that Williams’ success at club level may be due to the quality of service he receives from his teammates, and questioned whether he is getting the same level of support with the national team.

“So I think that Inaki Williams undoubtedly is a fantastic player, everybody does not dispute that. But has he been given the wide services, does he have the wide complement of teammates to be able to deliver?”

Damba believes that the coaches should consider these factors when selecting the team for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The 29-year-old has one goal in over 10 appearances for Ghana.

Williams is expected to be named in the squad for the tournament, which will be hosted in Ivory Coast, where Black Stars will play Egypt, Mozambique and Cape Verde in the group stage.