The General Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to establish a standby squad for the Black Stars to ensure the national team always has quality replacements available when needed.
He made the call during an interview on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme in Accra, hosted by Alexander Nana Dogbe.
Mr. Koomson said Ghana has an abundance of talented footballers both locally and abroad, but lacks a structured second-tier national team that can seamlessly replace regular players when they are unavailable.
He noted that many Ghanaian players are currently excelling in top leagues in countries such as Germany, France, Russia, and Ukraine. However, he argued that club commitments and concerns about injuries sometimes make players hesitant to honour national team call-ups.
According to him, the establishment of a standby team would reduce pressure on regular players and ensure that the national team remains competitive regardless of player availability.
“We should not always find ourselves pleading with players before they honour national team invitations. There should be a pool of equally committed and talented players ready to step in at any time,” he said.
Mr. Koomson also praised the current Black Stars technical leadership, describing the head coach as competent and experienced, and expressed confidence that he can build a strong team if given the necessary support and autonomy.
He further raised concerns about alleged favouritism and external influence in player selection, insisting that merit should be the sole criterion for national team inclusion.
“There should be no godfatherism or financial influence in selection. Only hardworking and disciplined players deserve to represent Ghana,” he stressed.
He urged football authorities to strengthen talent identification and player development systems nationwide to ensure the Black Stars remain competitive in international competitions.
