The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has made it clear that there will be no fixed number of local players in the Black Stars squad for the 2026 World Cup.
GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum said player selection will continue to be based only on performance, not on whether a player is playing in Ghana or abroad.
His comments come after calls from some section of the public for a set quota for Ghana Premier League players, especially with clubs set to benefit from FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme at the World Cup.
“No quota has been set for local players. Black Stars selections have always been based on merit, not on whether a player is local or abroad,” Asante Twum told Akoma FM.
He pointed to recent call-ups as proof that local players are selected when they deserve it.
“Players like Afriyie Barnieh, Danlad Ibrahim, Richmond Lamptey, and most recently Benjamin Asare earned their call-ups purely through performance — no one begged for them,” he said.
“The same principle applies to every player: wherever you are, if your performance warrants it, you will be called up,” he added.
Ghana have been drawn in Group L for the 2026 World Cup and will open their campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto. They will then face England in Boston before ending the group stage against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.
By: Pascal Amoah
