According to former Black Stars player Thomas Duah, he believes that no one, including current expatriate coach Chris Hughton, has the ability to improve the performance of the Ghana national team.
This statement comes after Ghana’s failure to defeat Madagascar in Antananarivo, which resulted in their failure to qualify for AFCON 2023.
Duah asserts that the system of player selection for the national team is being questioned due to Ghana’s current performance.
When asked about Chris Hughton’s direction in building the Black Stars, Duah responded by saying, “Nobody can build the Black Stars; anyone who claims otherwise is a liar.” We’re only practising ‘trying your luck’ and nothing else. Listen, the system for inviting players is flawed, and it is causing our national teams to fail,” he said in an interview with Rainbow radio in Accra.
He further criticizes the current approach, stating that it is merely based on luck rather than a cohesive strategy. Duah points out the importance of cohesion and understanding within a team, citing examples such as the presence of multiple players from Bayern Munich in the German national team and Barcelona players in the Spanish national team, where telepathy and familiarity exist.
“How do you build a team by bringing in different players for different games, and how do you find cohesion and understanding?” We don’t put together teams like that. Look, there are five or four Bayern Munich club players in the German national team, and there are more than five Barcelona players in the Spanish national team, so there is always telepathy.”
Duah highlights the shift away from relying solely on local players, emphasizing that in the past, the Black Stars achieved success by primarily including local talents.
“Ours isn’t like that; the local players have been left out; gone are the days when the Black Stars insisted on only local players, and that was what won us the trophy.”
Ghana has a storied history in the African Cup of Nations, having won the tournament four times in 23 appearances, with victories in 1963, 1965, 1978, and 1987.
