Semenyo and Inaki have both struggled since making their debuts for the Black Stars
Former Ghana international, Yaw Preko, has highlighted the challenges foreign-born players face when representing the Black Stars, emphasising the importance of understanding the local culture as a crucial factor in their success.
This comes amid growing frustrations among fans, who believe that many Ghanaian players based abroad do not give their all when playing for the national team, compared to their performances for European clubs.
Players like Iñaki Williams and Antoine Semenyo have consistently impressed at club levels but have struggled to replicate the same levels of performances in Black Stars jerseys.
Speaking to 3Sports, Preko pointed to their difficulties in adapting to Ghana’s unique football culture.
“There are several factors behind their struggles. They need to understand our culture, and our passion for the game is different from what they are used to in Europe. Antoine Semenyo is one of the best, and if we use him well, he can be very effective. But you can’t compare how he plays in Europe to how he plays in Africa,” he said.
Preko also acknowledged that even the best players often struggle to adjust to the physical and tactical demands of African football.
“Even a top player like Mohamed Salah struggles with Egypt because the African terrain is different,” he added.
The Black Stars currently sit second in Group I, level on points with leaders Comoros, with nine points from four matches.
They will face Chad in Accra on March 19, before traveling to Morocco to take on Madagascar on March 24, 2025.
Meanwhile watch GhanaWeb’s breakdown of the uproar triggered by Jamie Carragher’s comments on the AFCON and Mo Salah below:
Also, watch as Ahiafor explodes at Habib over ‘insulting’ deputy minister question
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