Renowned football coach Bashir Hayford has called upon two of Ghana's most prominent football clubs, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, to adopt a youth development policy in order to revitalize their performance.
Critics have been quick to condemn the lackluster showing by both teams in the 2022/23 BetPawa Premier League, with Hearts of Oak languishing in seventh place with 45 points and Kotoko occupying fourth place with 47 points.
Despite their current rankings, both clubs are not considered to be in contention for the league title and already eliminated from the FA Cup, which offers a pathway to participation in the CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup, respectively.
Hayford emphasized the need for strategic planning, suggesting that Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko should prioritize nurturing young talent within their ranks.
“They should plan well so that in the subsequent years they prove that they are the two giants in the country. In terms of quality players, I always advise that they should always embrace the youth policy.
"If you give yourself two or four years and you are not worried about winning the league at that time and by the fourth year you spring up and win the league continuously for about three to four years, it means you have planned for”, he spoke to Radio Gold Sports.