Danlad Ibrahim, the goalkeeper for Asante Kotoko, has voiced his concerns over what he perceives as a double standard in the treatment of local goalkeepers compared to their foreign counterparts in the national team selection process.
In an interview with Nationalist TV, Ibrahim highlighted the case of Lawrence Ati-Zigi, suggesting that if Ati-Zigi's recent drop in form had been exhibited by a local goalkeeper, their international career would have likely come to an abrupt end.
"After the AFCON, Ati-Zigi has not even won a game yet. He has conceded 4 goals and 5 goals in more than three games. If it were to be a local goalkeeper, he’d be done with the Black Stars," Ibrahim remarked, expressing his belief that local goalkeepers face harsher scrutiny and consequences for similar performances.
Ibrahim also shared his own experiences, revealing how he lost his starting position at Asante Kotoko and subsequently missed out on opportunities with the Black Stars due to what he believes were unfair criticisms and judgments.
"It all started after the World Cup. It has nothing to do with performance. That, I can confidently say," Ibrahim explained, shedding light on the challenges faced by local goalkeepers in Ghana's football landscape.
“I played only one game after the World Cup, we lost 2-0 at Dawu. When I watched the highlights, there was no single goal that I was at fault but after the game, they said I was proud and I didn’t train well. So I didn’t play again.”
He further criticized the tendency to unfairly criticize local goalkeepers, citing the case of Richard Attah as an example and emphasizing the need for fair evaluation and support to foster the progress of local talents.
“If you look at the trend, they start attacking after every mistake.”
“You can look at the Richard Attah’s issue. Some of the mistakes are normal because you’re a human being and it can happen.”
Despite being touted as a prospect for the Black Stars, Ibrahim has played primarily as a backup to Frederick Asare at Asante Kotoko and is yet to make his debut for the national team, despite earning several call-ups throughout his career.
