By Lawrencia Adjei
The inclusion of Ghana Premier League players in the final squad for tournaments is something fans of the GPL are ready to die for.
The supporters make it a clarion call for major stakeholders in football to comprehend the importance of incorporating domestic players into the team.
These calls from various fans become as loud as the latest hit song everyone jams to. When these calls fall on fertile ground, they bear fruit, and sometimes one or more quality GPL players find their names on the list of players who will be heading to a tournament, which may just be on their bucket list. However, your name appearing in the book of life is one thing, but actually making a debut at the tournament is a totally different story that has to be told.
In Ghana’s last four AFCON tournaments, 107 players have been named, including eight locals. Some of these players, unfortunately, do not get the opportunity to make their debut.
These eight players include Felix Annan, Richard Ofori, Richard Attah, Fatau Dauda, Maxwell Abbeyqyuaye, David Abagna, Philemon Baffour, and Fatawu Issahaku.
This may be the case for the GPL trio that made it into Coach Chris Hughton’s final team. Richmond Lamptey, Jonathan Sowah, and Fatawu Hamidu exhibited enough quality to earn them a place in the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations. It just so happens that showing quality is not enough to suit up on match day to either be on the bench or be part of the starting XI.
After two games at the biggest continental showpiece, none of the Ghana Premier League players have felt the pitch at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
Speaking to Coach Chris Hughton about whether Richmond Lamptey would make his debut, he shied away from a yes-or-no answer with a smile.
According to him, “I think with regards to my next game, the only ones that are privy to that will be the staff I work with. We have 27 players in camp to choose from.”
It remains to be seen if the GPL torchbearers will feel the pitch in our next game. Ghana will face Mozambique in the final group game.
