AFCON 2027Q: J.E. Sarpong slams sidelining of GPL players in Black Stars call-up
The recent 24-man squad named by head coach Carlos Queiroz for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers includes only Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare as a home-based player.
Experienced Ghanaian coach Joseph Emmanuel Sarpong has voiced his dissatisfaction over the scant representation of Ghana Premier League players in the recently announced Black Stars squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. In his recent comments, Sarpong lamented the exclusion of a multitude of home-based footballers from the 24-man roster compiled by head coach Carlos Queiroz.
Sarpong posited that it is these very local talents who frequently travel abroad for their development, only to be unexpectedly called up by the national team years later. He expressed his displeasure at the apparent double standard in the evaluation of local players, asserting that they are often unjustly dismissed before they get a chance to prove their mettle on the international stage.
The Black Stars are currently en route to their opening qualifier match against Côte d’Ivoire, which is set to take place on Thursday, 24th September 2026. The clash will be held at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, commencing at 19:00 GMT. Following the encounter, Ghana will host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium five days later.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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