Great Olympics General Manager Eric Alagidede has appealed to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to make a deliberate effort to include more home-based players in the Black Stars squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Alagidede believes such a move would not only promote the local game but also allow Ghana Premier League clubs to benefit financially from FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme, which will distribute $355 million to teams whose players participate in the tournament.
He suggested that at least four locally-based players should be named in the final 23-man squad, arguing that this inclusion would ensure Ghanaian clubs receive a fair share of the revenue.
“If we make a list of 23 players, you know how many of them will end up playing at the World Cup? A maximum of 20. Those who actually get playing time, maybe 18. If we go far, perhaps 19. So what happens to the rest of the slots? People are just going to make up the numbers,” he told Joy Sports.
“It’s a lot of money coming in, and that’s why I’m saying there should be a deliberate policy from those at the top. When the money comes, there should be a deliberate attempt to share it among the clubs in the league.”
Currently, Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare and Medeama striker Prince Owusu are the only home-based players in Otto Addo’s squad.
Ghana sit top of Group I with 19 points and need four more to secure qualification for their fifth FIFA World Cup appearance.
