President of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), John Ansah, has called for more locally based players to be included in the Black Stars squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His appeal follows comments by newly appointed Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz, who recently indicated that home-based players would be given fair opportunities in future squad selections.
Speaking to Channel One TV, Ansah praised the Ghana Premier League, describing it as one of the strongest leagues on the continent. He also expressed hope that Queiroz would increase the number of domestic players in the national team beyond the two selected for the 2022 World Cup.
He stressed that local clubs must also play their part by developing talents capable of competing for places in the senior national team.
“If I recollect, in 2022, we had two home-based players. During the qualification, you realised that some players were also given the opportunity,” he said.
“We have a few weeks to go to the World Cup. A new coach has been appointed; I don’t know much about his plan, but I’m of the view that he might consider doing the same or even more.
“The local league, sometimes we complain about not being the best, but if you look around us on this continent, we are among the best. So I think there is so much room for improvement, and my clubs must play a major role in improving themselves. It all boils down to giving them confidence to do more,” Mr Ansah added.
Meanwhile, Carlos Queiroz is expected to announce Ghana’s final squad for the tournament on June 1, ahead of the competition in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
