Agyemang Badu insists home-based players cannot play qualifiers

Former Black Stars midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang Badu believes home-based players cannot play qualifiers being it FIFA World Cup or African Cup of Nations due to pressure.

The Black Stars have received a lot of backlash following their defeat to South Africa in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The technical handlers of the national team have failed to give local players the opportunity to feature regularly for the Black Stars as foreign-based players are preferred.

However, a section of Ghanaians has clamoured for the inclusion of local players in the Black Stars set up after an uninspiring performance in recent times.

But according to the 30-year-old who currently plies his trade for Chinese based Qingdao FC, he supports the idea of integrating home-based players in the Black Stars but not in qualifiers due to the qualifiers it contains.

Asked if it’s about time local players are integrated into the team, he said, “it is agreed but not in the qualifiers with a pressure like this because during my playing time in Berekum Arsenal we were competing with those playing at Chelsea, Juventus in the national team and you could see that it was a chance but I’m not sure that the coach will choose me over Essien in some qualification games against Ivory Coast or Cameroon to face Yahaya Toure at that time whiles Essien is fit but we were featured in some qualification games when we have scored three or four goals already.

“If we don’t give them that courage with the friendly matches with some matches which are not too high profile then what will happen when we give them the qualifiers that contain a lot of pressure.”