THE Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has tasked the technical handlers of the Black Stars to ensure that only players who truly merit a place in the national team are invited for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mr Adams emphasised that Ghana aimed to make a strong impression at the global tournament, insisting that any player who demonstrated quality and consistency—whether playing locally or abroad—must be given the chance to represent the nation.
“Good and great players should not be left out anywhere they find themselves, whether they are local or foreign,” he stressed, as reported by Citi Sports.
“We are not going for this World Cup just to participate and come home. That’s why we must assemble our best,” he said.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Buem Constituency further underscored the importance of developing a robust local base, warning against the constant exodus of top local talents.
He described the trend as detrimental to building a competitive domestic league and a dependable pool of national team players.
“If all we do is allow our best local players to leave at the first opportunity, then we cannot build a strong local base.
We must be intentional about keeping good and skilful players here too,” he noted.
Mr Adams also revealed his intention to broaden government support to other sporting disciplines, rather than focusing overwhelmingly on football.
While acknowledging football’s high cost and the pressure it placed on successive ministers, he pledged to strengthen the local league to produce top-tier talent.
“We will support all sports, not only football. But football is really expensive and brings a lot of pressure on every minister, so we will do our best to improve the local league so we can produce players who will excel,” he added.
Credit: Graphic Online
