Former Ghana international Derek Boateng has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to enhance their efforts in attracting European-born Ghanaian players to represent the Black Stars.

Despite recent successes in recruiting players like Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey, and Antoine Semenyo, Boateng believes a more structured approach is needed to engage and nurture young talent of Ghanaian descent born in Europe.

In an interview with Accra-based Kingdom FM, Boateng emphasized the importance of having a proactive and organized strategy, similar to those employed by other countries.

He pointed out how Germany, for example, actively scouts young players with German roots and integrates them into their national setup early.

Boateng expressed frustration at seeing talented Ghanaian players like Kobbie Mainoo, Jeremy Doku, Jeremie Frimpong, and Nico Williams representing European countries instead of Ghana.

Boateng shared insights from his scouting trips in the USA, noting how other nations are diligent in identifying and developing young talent with ancestral connections to their countries.

“We have been in the USA for scouting jobs multiple times and I have seen expatriates also joining to scout players, but they are doing that for their country.

Germany, in particular, wants to bring all young players with roots in Germany and, after identifying them, will camp them.

This helps the players understand their heritage and feel a sense of belonging,” he explained.

Boateng lamented the lack of a similar approach by Ghana, which he believes leads to missed opportunities.

“We don’t have a clear strategy, and as a result, we lose players because we are not attentive to how we can attract them,” he said.

“How can we lose players like Kobbie Mainoo, Jeremy Doku, Jeremie Frimpong, and Nico Williams? While Inaki Williams is playing for us, we missed out on Nico Williams. Spain secured him because we didn’t act in time.”

Boateng criticized the GFA’s reactive stance and stressed the need for early engagement with players and their families.

“We must do a lot more. We shouldn’t wait until they are already established professionals before we start conversations.

By then, their parents might not be receptive because we weren’t involved from the beginning,” he added.

Boateng’s comments highlight the need for a more proactive approach by the GFA to ensure that talented players of Ghanaian descent are encouraged to represent the Black Stars from an early age.