Locals give way to foreign legion

From a 27-man locally based squad initially called up for training exercises under new Black Stars coach, Millan Zivadinovic, only six made the grade for Millan’s rebuilding process starting with the game against the Cranes of Uganda in Kampala.

Among the six are two goalkeepers and four other players drawn from league leaders, Heats of oak, Kotoko and Liberty Professionals. The number of players who are to leave for Yugoslavia on Sunday where they would be joined by the foreign-based players gives credence to the fact that; the Black Stars in this era is not for the locally based anymore.

The hard kept truth that many have failed to realize is that the team would always have the majority based outside (being the foreign stars) with the minority, (the locals) who make the headlines.

Out of the six, namely, goalkeepers, Sammy Adjei and George Owoo, Edmund Copson, Charles Taylor, Joseph Hendricks and John Painstil, only half might be guaranteed first team places in the Black Stars match against the Cranes. With the likely presence of captain Stephen Appiah, Derek Boateng, Otto Addo, Michael Essien, John Mensah and Razak Ibrahim, it is expected that the foreign legion would command first team places ahead of their local colleagues.

Also as the European calendar goes on break on the eve of the Black Stars-Cranes clash on 7th September, due to qualifiers for the 2004 European Cup, Millan would have a foreign pool to select from.

Many still wonder whether there would ever be the beginning for using the locals after Cecil Jones Attuquayefio’s tenure as Black Stars coach when he fielded a locally based team to hold a star-studded Super Green Eagles side to a goalless draw in a World Cup qualifier last year in Accra. For some, the foreign-based players hold the key if Ghana wants to hoist her flag at the World Cup. Others also believe that with the right motivation, the locals who are committed to the national cause would lead us there. But we are yet to see when Millan Zivadinovic would use the locals not only for training exercises in Accra but for international matches.