Ghana Premier League legend Charles Taylor has expressed his belief that Asante Kotoko, a top club in the Ghana Premier League, is a bigger sporting brand than the national team, the Black Stars due to the current situation of the senior national football team.
Taylor argued that Kotoko’s players are more active and fit because they play matches every week, unlike the Black Stars, who compete only periodically.
He suggested that this consistent play gives Kotoko players an edge in terms of fitness and readiness compared to their national team counterparts.
Although he acknowledged that Ghana’s performance in the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which features locally-based players, has not been impressive, Taylor believes there are players in the domestic league who are talented enough to make an impact on the Black Stars.
He emphasized that the exclusion of local players from the national team has contributed to the Black Stars’ struggles.
According to Taylor, incorporating more locally-based players would boost competition within the team, pushing foreign-based players to improve their performance.
“I know that if we give the local players the chance, they will deliver for the country. A player like Justice Blay, if he cannot play for the Black Stars, then he is not fit to be an Asante Kotoko player. This is because Kotoko is bigger than Black Stars,” he told Angel TV.
“Black Stars play matches periodically, but Kotoko play almost every weekend, so their players are fitter and better than the Black Stars players. How many of our Black Stars players start regularly at their clubs?
“People always bring up their inability to qualify for the CHAN, but there are some players in the CHAN team who can excel for the Black Stars. There should be competition in the team,” he added
Source: Ghanasoccernet.com.