AFCON 2021: Alhaji Grusah advocates for local players in Black Stars camp, tips a particular one to start for Ghana

Owner of Ghana Premier League (GPL) side King Faisal, Alhaji Karim Grunsah has urged Black Stars head coach Milovan Rajevac to be bold and give the local players named in Ghana’s 28-man squad for the AFCON a chance to prove themselves in Ghana’s second group game against Gabon.

Ghana fell to Morocco by 1-0 in their Group C opener on Monday, thanks to 83rd minute lone strike from Sofiane Boufal. Coach Rajevac named Ghana’s starting XI against Morocco without any locally based player.

Daniel Amartey, Alexander Djiku, Andrew Yiadom and Baba Abdul Rahman constituted the backline, while Thomas Partey and Baba Idrissu played in midfield with Joseph Painstil, Kamal Deen Sulemana, Captain Andre Ayew and Jordan Ayew in an offensive position.

Following Ghana’s defeat the Atlas Lions, Alhaji Karim Grunsah, a seasoned football administrator in Ghana has urged coach Rajevac to be bold enough to make use of the local players, who he believes are more hungrier for success. Particularly, Grunsah has advocated for GPL side Accra Great Olympics forward Maxwell Abbey Quaye to start Ghana’s next game against Gabon. Grunsah believes that the attacking potency of Ghana’s leading striker for the tournament, Jordan Ayew is not sharp enough enough, and it is high time the coach gave the likes of David Abagna Sadan of Real Tamale United and Maxwell Abbey Quaye of Great Olympics the chance to prove themselves.

“For me should Milo (referring to coach Milavan Rajevac) calls me right now, I would have asked him to start the [Accra Great] Olympics striker, Maxwell Abbey Quaye [in Ghana’s next game]”, Grunsah told StarTimes Ghana. He explained, that he who is thirsty needs water more than a person who is not thirsty. He implies, that the locally based players are much more hungrier and ear to die for the nation, and to prove a point for themselves.

“What we are saying is that, he who is thirsty needs to be given water and not the one who is not. Like this Olympics striker, it’s an opportunity for him to have earned a call up to the AFCON, when you feature him he will do what is expected of him. He is graduate from colts football and he is determined”, he advocated.

Ghana named five locally based players in their 28-man squad for the tournament in Cameroon, comprising Richard Attah GK – Accra Hearts of Oak, David Abagna – Real Tamale United, Maxwell Abbey Quaye – Accra Great Olympics, Fatawu Issahaku and Philemon Baffour, Dreams FC.