Former Ghanaian international, Charles Taylor has made a bold statement about the current state of Ghana’s national team, the Black Stars, and the exclusion of top-performing local players like Justice Blay.
According to Taylor, Asante Kotoko is a bigger sporting brand than the Black Stars, and he believes Kotoko’s players are often more fit and ready for competition due to their regular match schedules in the domestic league.
In an interview with Angel TV, Taylor argued that players like Justice Blay, who consistently deliver outstanding performances for Asante Kotoko, should naturally be part of the Black Stars squad. Blay, a key figure in Kotoko’s defense, has been instrumental in the club’s campaigns, but his absence from the national team has raised questions.
Taylor didn’t hold back in expressing his opinion: "If Justice Blay cannot play for the Black Stars, then he is not fit to be an Asante Kotoko player. This is because Kotoko is bigger than the Black Stars." He pointed out that Kotoko players, who play almost every weekend in the Ghana Premier League, are in peak physical condition, unlike many of the foreign-based Black Stars players who do not always get regular playing time with their respective clubs.
Taylor’s comments also touched on the broader issue of local players being overlooked for national team selection. He highlighted the Black Stars’ struggles, particularly in competitions like the African Nations Championship (CHAN), where the team has failed to make a significant impact despite being composed of locally-based players. Taylor believes that if more opportunities were given to top-performing local talents, it would increase competition within the national team and push the foreign-based players to raise their game.
"People always talk about our failure to qualify for CHAN, but there are players in the CHAN team who could excel for the Black Stars if given the chance," Taylor added. He emphasized that integrating more domestic players into the national team would strengthen the squad, ultimately benefiting the Black Stars in major international tournaments.
