Former Ghana assistant coach Maxwell Konadu has expressed his joy with the inclusion of home-based players in the Black Stars squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana coach Chris Hughton on Monday, January 1, 2023 released his 27-man squad for the continental showpiece, which included only three local players.
Medeama duo of Abdul Fatawu Hamidu, Jonathan Sowah and Kotoko’s Richmond Lamptey are the only Ghana Premier League players to have made the cut for the AFCON.
Speaking in an interview, Konadu, who is the head coach of Ghana Premier League side Nsoatreman FC indicated the inclusion of the local players will impact the league significantly.
“It’s not a bad squad. In my opinion, it’s good when you have a well-balanced squad like this. Decisions are not made to satisfy any individual but to satisfy the entire Ghanaian population. I believe they made the best decision and I’m happy there are few local ones among them. The inclusion of these local players will go a long way to motivate players plying their trade in the local scene” he said on Kessben FM monitored by Footballghana.com.
Ghana have opened camp in Kumasi as preparations continue for the Nations Cup next week.
The tournament is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, January 13 through to February 11, 2024.
The West Africa powerhouse have a history of success in the AFCON, having won the title four times, most recently in 1982. However, they have experienced defeat in three finals since then, including losses to Ivory Coast in 1992 on penalties and Egypt in 2010, as well as a repeat defeat to Ivory Coast in 2015.