Bechem United president praises Chris Hughton's willingness to hunt for local players

Published on: 15 June 2023

President of Bechem United, Kingsley Owusu-Achauhas praised Black Stars, Chris Hughton for his willingness to closely monitor the Ghana Premier League to hunt for local players.

The former Brighton and Newcastle United boss after signing a 21-month deal as the head coach of the Black Stars in March announced that he will monitor the topflight with the aim of building a formidable national team.

However, Hughton has visited several stadia during the course of the season.

Speaking to Graphic Sports, the veteran football administrator lauded Coach Hughton and his assistant, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, for their dedicated visits to multiple league venues across the country, closely observing the players' performances.

The football administrator noted that their commitment over the past few months represented a departure from previous norms, where national team coaches rarely ventured out to scout players at various league centres.

He further highlighted the decision to extend a late invitation to Bechem United forward, Hafiz Wontah Konkoni, to join the national team for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar as a testament to the success of the scouting efforts by the coaches.

"Coach Hughton toured the length and breadth of this country to monitor the league, and this is truly refreshing news," he told Graphic Sports.

"In the past, we have had coaches who barely stayed in the country, let alone scouted for players," stated Mr Owusu-Achau.

He added that Konkoni's inclusion in the Black Stars would serve as strong motivation for home-based players and instil in them a strong belief that hard work and dedication can lead to future opportunities.

The Black Stars are expected to leave the shores of the country later today for the matchday five games that is scheduled to kick off at 17:00GMT at Mahamasina Municipal Stadium in Antananarivo.

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