Asante Kotoko head coach, Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum, has called on the technical handlers of the Black Stars to provide local players with real opportunities to compete when they receive national team call-ups.
Ahead of Ghana’s Matchday 5 and 6 fixtures in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar, three locally-based players—Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, Medeama SC defender Kamaradini Mamudu, and Nations FC defender Razak Simpson—were included in the squad.
Among them, Asare notably replaced first-choice goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi, featuring in both matches.
Simpson also made an appearance in the latter stages of Ghana’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Madagascar.
Dr. Ogum believes there is a wealth of untapped talent in the Ghana Premier League and has urged the national team’s scouts to look deeper.
“They need to scout extensively in the Ghana league, and if they do that, I’m sure they will uncover a large pool of talented local players who, when given the opportunity, can perform,” he said.
“To me, it’s not just about selecting local players and keeping them on the bench. They should be scouted with the intention of allowing them to compete,” he added.
Before their win against Madagascar, the Black Stars delivered a commanding 5-0 victory over Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Ghana now leads Group I with 15 points and will face Chad and Mali in the Matchday 7 and 8 qualifiers in September.
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