‘Local players must NOT make AFCON squad’ – J.E Sarpong

fiifi anaman

December 22, 2016 10:11 AM

The former Liberty professionals coach is against the idea of the inviting local players for the tournament in Gabon.

___5935202___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5935202___2016___12___22___11___J.-E-Sarpong

Coach J.E Sarpong is of the view that players plying their trade in the Ghana Premier League are currently inactive and do not merit a place in the Black Stars squad for the Africa Cup of Nation.

READ ALSO: Alfred Duncan to miss AFCON...

Black Stars coach, Avram Grant is on the verge of naming his final 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon next year. And many fans and pundits have called for the inclusion of local players in the squad – with Liberty Professionals’ Latif Blessing and Hearts of Oak’s Inusah Musah leading the pack.

The Israeli has previously indicated that he has not been impressed with local players, with his call-ups being dominated by foreign-based players.

READ ALSO: AFCON 2017

However, Coach J.E Sarpong insists this is not the right time to invite local players into the national team, citing their inactivity as his reason.

“We were supposed to have started the league on the 18th of December but we are here we are still delaying. Grant will only name players who are in-form and active,” he said in an interview with Happy Fm.

“No local player has been active since September. So how does he choose an inactive player for the Afcon? Ghanaians have been pushing for the inclusion of Latif Blessing and Inusah Musah but that will not end anywhere, trust me. Grant is right if he doesn’t invite any local player to the Black Stars.”

The Black Stars will start their quest for an elusive fifth Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Gabon when they play Uganda on January 17 in Port-Gentil.

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