Coach Stephen Frimpong Manso has advised local talents to take advantage of national invitations or call ups to prove that they deserve a place in the Black Stars team if given the opportunity or chance to represent Ghana at international level.


Speaking on Ahenfie Sports, Coach Manso indicated that success at the highest-level demands players who can instantly demonstrate exceptional qualities to prove their inclusion in the Black Stars squad.


‘’If the association develop confidence in you [ local player] and invites you to represent the country at international campaign stage, prove to the managers that you [ local talent] truly deserve that place to play for the national team’’.


Some seven or eight key players withdrew from Black Stars 2027 AFCON qualifying squad for crucial double-header against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, most due to injury.

The former Ghanaian defender believes that some local talents have proven their worth to play especially in upcoming November 2027 AFCON double-header against the ‘Ocean Stars’ of Somalia.


‘’Looking at the under performance by some foreign players invited for our last 2027 AFCON qualifiers, we can conclude that if we have some confidence in our local players and give them the opportunity to play, I believe they can shine especially in upcoming fixtures against Somalia’’

‘’But these local players must also take this as an opportunity to prove to us that they can play - it is an individual process to fight for one’s status – you need only one or two games to prove your worth’’ he added.


The Black Stars are currently without a substantive head coach following the departure of Carlos Queiroz, who had a mutual contract termination with the GFA following a difficult run of results in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers - back-to-back defeats.

Black Stars tumbled to the bottom of Group C after back-to-back defeats: a 2-0 loss to Côte d'Ivoire and a historic 4-2 defeat to The Gambia on home soil surrendering a 2–0 lead.


The four-time African champions face Somalia next in matchdays 3 and 4 in the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. The double-header against the ‘Ocean Stars’ of Somalia, both matches scheduled at the Accra Sports Stadium, provide a vital chance to stabilize their campaign and restore confidence among supporters, administrators, and political figures despite recent crises.