The Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), Kudjoe Fianoo, has weighed in on the performance of locally-based players, emphasizing that their contributions can best be measured through Ghana’s achievements in the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The Black Galaxies, Ghana’s CHAN team, are gearing up for a crucial two-legged qualifier against West African rivals Nigeria this December. The winner of the tie will secure a spot in the 2025 CHAN tournament, which will be hosted across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Ghana has come close to CHAN glory but is yet to lift the coveted trophy, finishing as runners-up in 2009 and 2014. Fianoo pointed to these results when discussing the progress of locally-based players, highlighting the challenges and opportunities they face.
“What have been the performance of the Chan team? Yes, we are facing some challenges and some local players having brought in. Yes, they’ve not done that badly. But I don’t think that is easy, he told Citisports.
“If we have the package, you know in the past we used to describe the national team as “GTP”. GTP meaning that we are bringing players from Greece, Turkey and Portugal.
“And if now we have at least six players playing the EPL. And those players in Spain are also doing very well. And they come to Canada, they are not doing well. Then we need to find out what the results are.”
“They are coming out to see less and play them with the local players. And I’m saying that what have been the achievement of the Chan team? What have been the achievement of the Olympic team?”
He also questioned the recent performance of national teams like the Black Galaxies and the Olympic team, urging a more strategic approach to developing local talent.
In preparation for the qualifiers, Black Galaxies head coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani has named a provisional 32-man squad for a training camp at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram. The camp kicks off on Monday, November 25, 2024, as the team intensifies preparations for the high-stakes encounter.
Ghana will host the first leg of the tie on Saturday, December 21, 2024, with the second leg scheduled between December 27-29, 2024, in Nigeria.
The Black Galaxies will look to replicate their triumph over Nigeria in the 2023 CHAN qualifiers, where they secured their spot in the tournament at the expense of their rivals. Coach Dramani and his squad are determined to build on that success and ensure Ghana’s presence in the 2025 CHAN tournament, a competition that remains a critical platform for showcasing local talent.
The CHAN tournament offers Ghana’s home-based players an opportunity to demonstrate their quality on the continental stage, and expectations are high as the Black Galaxies prepare to take on their fierce rivals.
