Former Black Stars midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has voiced his belief that Ghana Premier League players should be given a chance to represent the national team.
Agyemang-Badu’s remarks come in the wake of Otto Addo’s recent squad selections for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and Niger, where only one Premier League player, Asante Kotoko goalkeeper Fredrick Asare, was included but did not see action.
Agyemang-Badu, who himself emerged from the Ghana Premier League, emphasized the need for local talent to be considered for international duty.
“There is no cohesion, no aggressiveness, and the passing is slow. It seems like the team is playing without any real stakes or commitment. Normally, it’s hard for me to critique players given my background, but it’s evident that changes are needed,” Agyemang-Badu said on Asempa FM.
He continued, “I am an advocate for local players. If you take some of them along for matches and they fail to impress, then I will not advocate for their inclusion again in the squad. I am a product of the Ghana Premier League. There are players in the Premier League who understand the African terraint.”
Agyemang-Badu questioned whether there truly isn’t a single player among the thousands in the Ghana Premier League who could compete for a spot in the Black Stars.
