Gold Stars coach Frimpong Manso backs local players to outperform current Black Stars players

Bibiani Gold Stars head coach, Frimpong Manso, has expressed his belief that local players are capable of outshining the current Black Stars squad.

His comments come after Ghana's disappointing performances in the recent 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, where the Black Stars were held to a draw and suffered a defeat in a doubleheader against Sudan.

Speaking in an interview with Akoma FM, Coach Frimpong Manso didn’t hold back in his assessment of the team's performance, criticising the lack of commitment shown by some players.

“With this group (in AFCON qualifiers), we should have easily qualified without any mathematical calculations," Manso said, emphasising that the Black Stars had more than enough talent to secure qualification without the need for complex scenarios.

He further called on coach Otto Addo to make bold decisions, particularly when it comes to selecting players who are fully committed to the national team.

"Our team lacked the commitment to die for the nation. Otto Addo should drop all players who are unwilling to play because, given what they are doing, our local players can outperform them," he said.

In his concluding remarks, the Bibiani Gold Stars coach advised that the nation shift its focus from the AFCON campaign to the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, given the current state of the Black Stars.

“We should forget about AFCON and instead focus on World Cup qualification,” Manso urged, suggesting that Ghana’s chances for success might be better in the global competition.

The Black Stars will return to action in November for the last two games in the qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON. Many are advocating for the inclusion of more players from the Ghana Premier League.