Former Black Stars captain, Stephen Appiah has said European-born players struggle to succeed in the national team due to cultural differences.
Under the leadership of Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kurt Okraku, several players have switched nationality to represent the Black Stars.
Despite their strong performances at club level, many have underperformed for the national team.
Inaki Williams has only scored once in 19 appearances for Ghana, while Antoine Semenyo has had inconsistent playing time.
Other players, such as Ransford Yeboah Konigsdorffer and Stephen Ambrosius, have also struggled to secure regular call-ups.
Appiah, who captained Ghana to their first-ever World Cup in 2006, believes it’s easier for players born in Ghana to adapt to the national team because they understand the deeper significance of representing the country.
“We that we are coming from here; we know what it means to wear that shirt. Some of these foreign-born players can’t even speak our local language,” Appiah said speaking to Parliament’s Sport Select Committee on Wednesday, September 25.
“So it’s not like in our time when, after lunch or dinner, we would sit and try to interact, work with each other, do our prayers, and all that.
“Today, when you go to the camp, they [players born abroad] find it difficult to adapt because they don’t know the culture. It’s not that they disrespect the coaches. I haven’t seen that.” he added.
Appiah, who made 67 appearances and scored 15 goals for Ghana, is known for leading the Black Stars to their historic quarter-final finish at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.