Hearts goalie, Richard Attah highlights the main challenge in the local league

Accra Hearts of Oak shot-stopper, Richard Attah has blamed poor performance of the local players on pitches.

The Ghana’s AFCON 2021 goalkeeper insists the local players do not perform as expected when they are called into the Black Stars due to the standard of the pitches.

Many players have also claimed that it is affecting the beauty of the game and also hindering players from performing.

Richard Attah made this complaint during an interview with Accra-based Angel FM.

“I think the local league lacks a lot of things. If you make it to the national team before you jell with them, they [the coaches] would have gotten their team already. The main factor is the pitch.”

“As a local player, the main challenge for local players in the pitch. Because the professionals want the pitch wet, which makes everything different.

“When receiving the ball it travels from you a bit, so after you begin to settle and get used to it in three or four days, they would have gotten their team already. If you don’t wet the pitch they can’t play.

“For me, when I came back after the AFCON, I struggled in training because the ball did not move fast. It took me two weeks to get used to. [While at AFCON] the ball was fast so it sharpened my reflexes.”

Attah also stated that the difference between local and foreign players is the tempo of the respective leagues.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper was part of the Ghana National team in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations that was eliminated at the group stage of the competition.

Richard Attah started his football career with Eastern Region-based division one club Okyeman Planners F.C. He later moved to Central Region base Elmina Sharks in 2017 and after spending 2 seasons with Elmina Sharks he then moved to Accra Hearts of Oak in 2019.