Former Ghana international Anthony Yeboah has attacked Ghana’s national soccer team’s player selection process.
Reports of GFA officials manipulating national team call-ups to suit their personal interests have long been a popular urban legend in Ghana.
Following Ghana’s withdrawal from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations group stages, claims of national team selection influence increased, but Kurt Okraku, president of the Ghana Football Association, has stated that no one affected the call-ups.
Anthony Yeboah has thrown his voice to the debate, claiming that the structures in place in the national team primarily benefit privileged kids who can afford to pay their way up.
According to him, the national team is now for sale to the highest bidder, making it impossible for players who truly deserve to be called up.
“If your parent is not affluent, you cannot play for the national team,” Anthony Yeboah told a gathering of journalists at the Yegola Hotel in Kumasi. “However, we do not utilize this attitude to grow football.”
“How can our football develop if they have to pay money to be recognized?” And the problem is that all of the talented players have been refused entry to national teams and are hence unavailable to participate,” he continued.
Source: GhanaFeed.com