Asante Kotoko head coach, Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum, has called on the Black Stars' technical team to ensure that locally-based players receive fair opportunities to compete when selected for national duty.
Ahead of Ghana’s Matchday 5 and 6 fixtures in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar, three Ghana Premier League players—Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, Medeama SC defender Kamaradini Mamudu, and Nations FC defender Razak Simpson—were included in Otto Addo’s squad.
Asare made an immediate impact, displacing first-choice goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi and starting both matches in his debut call-up. Meanwhile, Simpson was handed his first international minutes late in Ghana’s 3-0 victory over Madagascar.
Dr. Ogum believes that the local league is filled with quality players who deserve more recognition from the national selectors.
"They need to scout deeper in the [Ghana] league, and when they do that, I’m sure they will discover a backlog of talented local players who, when given the opportunity, can perform," he said.
The Kotoko boss also stressed that home-based players should not merely be called up to fill squad numbers but should be given meaningful roles in the team.
"To me, they shouldn’t just scout local players and put them on the bench. They should scout players who, when given the chance, will be able to compete," he added.
The Black Stars put on a commanding display during the recent international window, securing a 5-0 victory over Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium before dispatching Madagascar.
Now leading Group I with 15 points, Ghana will resume their qualifying campaign in September with crucial fixtures against Chad and Mali as they push for a place in the 2026 World Cup.
