As Ghana’s Black Stars approach their crucial final matches of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, former Ghana defender Sam Johnson has suggested that local players should be given more opportunities to play in the games against Angola and Niger. With Ghana’s qualification hopes hanging by a thread, Johnson, who has experience with Hearts of Oak and Fenerbahçe, believes that fielding local talent would provide invaluable exposure to top-level African competition.
In his remarks, Johnson emphasized the importance of building the confidence of home-based players and preparing them for future international tournaments. However, he also expressed concerns about the declining quality of Ghana’s domestic league, which has made it challenging to identify strong candidates for the national team. Despite this, Johnson remains hopeful that a mix of local and foreign-based players could help secure Ghana’s position in the tournament.
As Ghana currently sits in third place in Group F, with just two points from four matches, the team’s coach, Otto Addo, is expected to announce the squad later this week. The final results of Sudan’s matches could play a pivotal role in keeping Ghana’s qualification hopes alive.
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