‘The local players are all performing well at club level ‘- Amankwah Mireku

Former Hearts of Oak captain Amankwah Mireku has called for a greater share of places in the Black Stars to go to players based in the Ghana Premier League, arguing that their club form warrants recognition at international level. His intervention comes as the national team prepares for its decisive Africa Cup of Nations double-header against Somalia, with an interim coach and a squad that already includes four home-based players.

Mireku singled out one of them for particular attention. “If you ask me, Isaac Afful should start because that guy cannot be sitting on the bench,” he said, arguing that the midfielder has demonstrated sufficient quality to displace an established name. He was also willing to be critical where he felt form had declined, expressing concern that Gideon has not yet rediscovered the performances that previously distinguished him. The combination is worth noting: the argument is presented as a case about current output rather than a general preference for domestic players.

His broader assessment was that the local game is producing more than the national team is using. “The local players are all performing well at club level, and I believe their inclusion is a step in the right direction,” he said. He went further with a specific proposal. “Although our expectations have not yet been met, I believe we can still get at least one player from each local team to strengthen the Black Stars squad.”

That formulation invites scrutiny. Selection by club representation is a different principle from selection by merit, and a squad assembled to ensure every Premier League side is represented would not necessarily be the strongest available. The stronger version of Mireku’s argument does not require a quota at all. It requires that domestic form be assessed with the same seriousness as performances in European leagues, that scouts attend matches rather than rely on reputation, and that a player producing consistently in Ghana be given the same consideration as one producing inconsistently abroad. The historical pattern in Ghanaian selection has not always met that standard, and the frustration behind his remarks is grounded in it.

The context gives the argument additional weight. Ghana lost their opening two Group C fixtures, ended Carlos Queiroz’s second spell in charge after less than a month, and have borrowed the Black Queens coach to lead the men’s team through the Somalia matches. Chris Hughton warned this week that the churn itself is damaging the squad’s development. In that setting, the case for widening the pool and building continuity around players who are available, match-fit and identifiable to the domestic audience has practical merit beyond sentiment about the local league.

Mireku also urged supporters to continue backing the Premier League, connecting the health of the domestic game to the competitiveness of the national team. That relationship is real but not automatic. Attendance and investment improve when the league is seen as a genuine pathway to international football, and the pathway becomes visible only when home-based players are selected and then played rather than included and benched. Whether Isaac Afful features on Thursday at the Essipong Stadium will say more about the seriousness of that commitment than any statement of intent from the technical bench.

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