Stephen Appiah cites drawbacks of foreign-born players in Black Stars

Former Ghana captain Stephen Appiah has voiced his concerns over the challenges foreign-born players face in adapting to the Ghana national team.

Speaking to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports, which is reviewing the petition from the Save Ghana Football Demonstrators, Appiah explained that these players often struggle to fully grasp the significance of wearing the Ghana jersey due to cultural and language barriers.

Appiah noted that while players like Inaki Williams perform admirably for their clubs, they find it more difficult to replicate the same level of success for Ghana, largely because of the disconnect in culture and communication within the team environment.

“We, who are coming from here, know what it means to wear that shirt. Some of these foreign-born players can’t even speak our local language,” Appiah stated, emphasizing the cultural gap.

He also drew comparisons between his playing days and the current team dynamic: “In our time, after lunch or dinner, we would sit, interact, and pray together. Today, foreign-born players find it difficult to adapt because they don’t know the culture.”

Stephen Appiah clarified that the issue isn’t about players disrespecting the coaches but rather about their struggles to adjust to the local team culture. “It’s not that they disrespect the coaches; I haven’t seen that,” he concluded.

The Black Stars will be hoping to bounce from their recent disappointing performances as they face Sudan in a doubleheader in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

The post Stephen Appiah cites drawbacks of foreign-born players in Black Stars first appeared on 3News.

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