Eric Alagidede Blames Black Satellites' AFCON Exit on Excess Dependence on Foreign-Based Players
Football administrator Eric Alagidede has blamed Ghana for the disappointing AFCON exit in the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a result of the excess dependence on foreign-based players. The Black Satellites had exited the competition at the quarter-final stage after a thrilling penalty shootout loss to host nation Egypt, following a 2-2 regulation time draw.
In Alagidede's estimation, the decision by head coach Desmond Ofei to finalise foreign-based players over domestic-based players disrupted the team chemistry and eroded the potency of the team. The 24-man team boasted over 14 of them being based overseas—a move Alagidede considers unprecedented and a mistake.
"You are the head coach and chose the players. If the results are poor, then you are to blame," Alagidede insisted. "Ghana never prepared a team for an AFCON with most of the players playing abroad. If you pick 14 of them, what do you say about the local system?
He also criticized the Ghana Football Association for lacking a specific, clear plan in developing young players. In his view, the nation's failure to establish a youth to senior level development pathway still erodes progress. Alagidede reaffirmed that there must be a purposive framework that enables the growth of players from U-15 to the senior national team.
"If we want to have a strong national team in ten years' time, then we should start developing the players early. That involves building a pool of core players from U-15, seeing them develop, and having continuity as they graduate from U-17 and U-20," he explained.
The Black Satellites' premature elimination has stirred controversy regarding the future of Ghanaian youth football. A once-dominant force in African youth tournaments, Ghana has not been able to make a major impact in recent years, with the previous U-20 World Cup participation coming as far back as 2015.
Alagidede's comments have prompted broader thinking among football stakeholders about the over-reliance on foreign-trained players to the detriment of home-based players. There are now demands for Ghana to re-strategize its youth football with greater emphasis on development at home, stability, and long-term planning to restore the country to its former glory.
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