Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan says locally based players must demonstrate that they can compete at the highest international level if they are to earn places in Ghana’s national team.
His comments come amid recurring debates over the limited inclusion of Ghana Premier League players in the Black Stars squad, especially during major international tournaments.
Critics have often argued that the increasing reliance on foreign-based players, including those of Ghanaian descent born abroad, reduces opportunities for homegrown talents to showcase their abilities at the national level.
But the former striker, popularly known as Baby Jet, said selection into the national team should be based on competitiveness and the ability to perform against top international opposition.
Speaking on World Cup Central on Channel One TV on Friday, May 8, 2026, Asamoah Gyan said that although many local players featured prominently in the Black Stars during his playing days, they consistently demonstrated their quality on the international stage.
“For me, it comes back to what I said before, like the generational thing. When you talk about our time, you could see local players who can compete,” he said.
“I’m not saying this generation cannot compete, but they have to show us something.”
Baby Jet recalled how he broke into the national team as a locally based player and successfully replaced foreign-based players through strong performances.
“When I came, I was a local player. I came to substitute a foreign-based player; I was able to deliver,” he stated.
He also referenced the era when clubs from the Ghana Premier League supplied a large number of players to the national team, including a famous encounter where a largely Accra Hearts of Oak squad represented Ghana against a star-studded Nigerian side.
“Ghana had to use Hearts of Oak, the whole squad, to compete against Nigeria, who had Jay-Jay Okocha and the others at that high level,” he said.
“You could see players competing. So when you are campaigning about local players, nobody can talk about it.”
However, Gyan questioned whether the current generation of local players is performing strongly enough to convince national team coaches.
“It’s like we are playing in the local league, everything is okay, but can you compete internationally?” he asked.
The former Sunderland forward noted that foreign coaches managing the Black Stars are often under pressure to produce results and will naturally select players they believe can compete at the highest level.
“When we talk about the Black Stars, it’s about international football. We don’t compete against local teams; we compete against international teams,” he said.
“So if you’re a local player and you cannot compete internationally, how do you expect to be part of the Black Stars?”
