Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has warned that the limited representation of Ghana-based players in the Black Queens could become a major concern for the national teams if urgent measures are not taken.
Adams believes the growing reliance on foreign-based footballers in Ghana’s senior men’s and women’s national teams raises questions about opportunities for players in the domestic leagues and the effectiveness of local player development.
His comments come amid renewed debate over the representation of home-based players in the national teams, following Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare’s emergence as the only Ghana Premier League player in the Black Stars squad for their recent 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ivory Coast and The Gambia.
Speaking in an interview with Citi FM, Adams said the situation was also affecting the senior women’s team and called for measures to address the concern.
“The same thing is even impacting our senior female national teams now. You hardly will find local players in the teams, which is not good,” the Buem MP said.
“The earlier we correct that one too, the better, before tomorrow we get to the same problem that we have arrived at when it comes to the senior male national team,” he added.
The minister’s concerns about the Black Queens echo his earlier remarks on the Black Stars, where he revealed that the Sports Ministry had advised the committee tasked with finding a new head coach to prioritise a candidate willing to spend more time in Ghana if a foreign coach is appointed.
The proposal is intended to strengthen the connection between the national team and domestic football while improving opportunities for locally based players.
Meanwhile, the Black Queens have advanced to the final qualifying round of the 2028 Olympic Games after recording a 10-0 aggregate victory over Mauritius in the second round.
Ghana will face Zambia in February, with a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games at stake.
