Ghana snub foreign-based stars

Passionate Ghana fans have been disappointed by the foreign-based players

Ghana coach Cecil Jones Attuquayefio has named a 23-man entirely home-based squad for the World Cup qualifier against arch-rivals Nigeria in Accra on Sunday.

Most of the players invited to camp in Swedru, outside the capital, are members of the of the Attuquayefio-led Hearts of Oak squad who won the African Champions League last December.

Attuquayefio called up five from Asante Kotoko, two each from Liberty Professionals and Obuasi Goldfields and one from Ebusua Dwarfs.

It was against Nigeria ten years ago that Ghana last played with a majority of home-based players in Kumasi and won 1-0 before drawing the return 0-0 in Lagos under German coach Burkhard Zeise.

Nigeria, by contrast, have named 18 players for Sunday's match, all foreign-based, and most Ghanaians are expecting the Super Eagles to win by a wide margin.

Lack of commitment

But the bold move by Attuquayefio has not come as a surprise, though, as most of the Ghanaian players overseas have been widely criticised for their attitude and lack of commitment.

Football's governing body Fifa are to look into a report by Ethiopian referee Hailemalek Tessema that Bayern Munich defender Samuel Osei Kuffour was restrained by Sudanese security from assaulting him.

Addo was one of a number of European-based players who ran into trouble

Kuffour has also come under fire from the local press, after two journalists travelling with the squad to Sudan quoted the defender calling Ghanaian newsmen drop-outs and he could afford to pay their wages.

Dortmund striker Otto Addo is also on a collision course with Attuquayefio, who criticised the behaviour of the player after he was substituted against Liberia. Addo was subsequently dropped from the Sudan match.

Lost three in a row

Home-based players have not been spared either in terms of their camp code of conduct, but with the majority from Hearts, Attuquayefio would seem to have control over them.

But it would have been more difficult for him to do the same to the foreign-based, most of whom earn a salary much more than his $5,000 a month, which makes him the highest-paid local coach in the history of Ghanaian football.

Ghana have lost three matches in a row since Attuquayefio took over the Black Stars in January, including a 3-1 humiliation at the hands of Liberia in Accra and a 1-0 loss in Sudan last time out.

Some Ghanaians, however, are divided over the exclusion of the European-based players, saying that a few with a good record in camp should have been invited, while the local boys would not be the solution to revive the team's fading World Cup hopes.

Ghana squad
Goalkeepers: Samuel Adjei, James Nanor (both Hearts of Oak), Constant Mantey (Obuasi G'fields)
Defence: Jacob Nettey, Stephen Tetteh, Dan Quaye, Joe Ansah, Amankwah Mireku, Lawrence Adjin-Tetteh, Agyemang Duah (all Hearts), Foster Bastios (Liberty Prof)
Midfield: Abdul Razak (Ebusua Dwarfs), Godwin Ablordey, Lawrence Adjei, Isaac Owusu (all Asante Kotoko), Edmund Copson (Hearts)
Strikers: Nana Arhin-Duah (Obuasi), Nana Frimpong, Osei Kwame (both Asante), Baffour Gyan (Liberty Prof), Charles Taylor, Emmanuel Kuffour, Ishmael Addo (all Hearts)

Nigeria squad
Goalkeepers: Ike Shorunmu (Besiktas), Peterside Idah (Classic FC, S Africa)
Defence: Celestine Babayaro (Chelsea), Isaac Okoronkwo (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ifeanyi Udeze (PAOK Salonika), Godwin Okpara (Paris SG), Taribo West (Derby), Emeka Ifejiagwa (Wolfsburg)
Midfield: Garba Lawal (Roda JC), Sunday Oliseh (Dortmund), Augustine Okocha (Paris SG), Finidi George (Real Mallorca)
Strikers: Julius Aghahowa (Shakhtar Donetsk), Victor Agali (Hansa Rostock), Tijani Babangida (Genclerbirligi), Bina Ajuwa (Benfica), Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal), Benedict Akwuegbu (Graz AK)