Former Executive Chairman for Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Dr. Kofi Koduah Sarpong believes that our national football team can be stronger if we are able to properly develop our local talents instead of relying on foreign groomed players.
According to Dr. Sarpong who is the current Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) boss, players groomed outside Ghana normally do not understand our culture and philosophy and hence find it very easy turning their backs on us.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Happy FM’s Anopa Bosuo Sports, Dr. KK Sarpong held that Ghana’s two football giants Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak must take the lead in this development process.
“We must a rigorous exercise of developing our local football talents to feed the Black Stars. Over reliance on players who have been groomed outside the country has been our bane because those players do not understand our culture and philosophy and most of them do not have any close ties to Ghana so it is easy for them to turn their backs on the country when we need them most. Look at Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck. He is one player who could have easily played for Ghana but he decided to play for England instead because he understands their culture better.” Dr. Sarpong indicated.
“The two football giants in Ghana, Hearts of Oak and Kotoko, must lead the process of developing the local talents so that we can have a set of locally groomed players who can fit into the national team.” He added.
Dr. Sarpong served as the Executive Chairman of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Sporting Club Limited between 2010 and 2013, during which period he led the club to 2 Premier League titles, 2 Champion of Champions titles, and 2 FA Cup Runners-up positions.
He established co-operation with Sunderland SC (UK), TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Petro Luanda (Angola) and secured 13 sponsorship deals for the club.
