When Coach Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, Head Coach of Ghana Black Stars announced early this month that he intends meeting the dreaded Nigerian Super Eagles with a team of local players, it was as expected, received with mixed feeling. The reason the coach gave for his decision indicated that he trusted his local stars more than the foreign-based players, most of whom warm the benches of some unsung clubs in Europe.

"You reap what you sow", the sages say, and indeed the local based players have earned respect and glory for sowing the seed of discipline in the national team which for long has witnessed the arrogance of some foreign-based professional players who don't even know the pride of serving one's country. These foreign stars play for the nation as if they are doing mother Ghana a favour. Well it is now obvious 'say monkey no go work for bamboo to chop".

The foreign-based stars now know from the way these local stars handled the Dreaded "Anago" lads that they can no more avoid camping as used to be the norm and then come the very last minute to replace their local counterparts who have camped and trained as a team.

The Stars parading an all local side mostly from the camp of Accra Hearts of Oak made nonsense of the highly touted Nigerian team made up of eighteen foreign- based professionals under the technical brain of Bonfrere. The Nigerian Midfield marshalled against the Arsenal Lad, tall lanky, and skilful Nwanko Kanu and dynamic midfielder Jay Jay Okocha was left spell bound as young Joe Ansah and Adjah Tetteh held them boot for boot.

The Nigerian defence had it tough handling the "Phobia" Black Stars attackers with the hard tackling Taribo West either seen heckling and pushing or made to chase his shadow by the young Ishmael Addo and Captain Emmanuel Osei Kuffour (These two reminded me of Abedi Pele and Prince Opoku Polley when Ghana beat Nigeria 2-1 in the Semi finals of Senegal 92".

Last Sunday's superb performance by the Stars was arguably the best in over a year and this should send a signal to the professionals who King George has described as "arrogants… who think they are larger than life" that what they can do, the local lads could also do and even better and that's only if the locals maintain their discipline and dedication. If Stephen Tetteh could stop Kanu and Okocha, it makes no sense keeping Samuel Osei Kuffour as an automatic choice simply because he plays for Bayern Munchen of Germany.

With the current form of the local goalkeepers, namely Sammy Adjei, James Nanor and Constance Mantey, who are regular post manners for their respective and respected clubs, it would be suicidal for a coach to invite Richard Kingston, a floating Europe-based goalkeeper to the camp of Ghana's Black Stars. Remember, even if Kingston succeeds in being featured by a club, he is either the number two or three man for an European club comparable to Mighty Jet of Accra.