Veteran coach Joseph Emmanuel Sarpong has expressed his displeasure at the limited number of Ghana Premier League players included in the Black Stars squad.

The recent 24-man squad named by head coach Carlos Queiroz for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers includes only Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare as a home-based player.

Sarpong believes deserving players from the domestic league should be given opportunities to showcase their abilities at international level.

“They say the local boys are not good enough to play in the Black Stars, but it is the same boys who travel and, after one or two years, suddenly get invited to the national team,” Sarpong said, criticising what he sees as a double standard in the assessment of home-based players.

The Black Stars have travelled from Accra to Bouaké ahead of their opening qualifier against Côte d’Ivoire.

Ghana will face the hosts at the Stade de la Paix on Thursday, 24 September 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 GMT.

They will then host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium five days later.