Ace broadcaster Mohammed Amin Lamptey, has hit out at new Black Stars Coach C.K. Akonnor for snubbing in-form La Liga defender Mohammed Salisu from his maiden Black Stars squad.
Akonnor named his first ever Black Stars squad for this month’s Afcon 2021 qualifiers against Sudan, but one name missing, which has got tongues wagging, is in-form Real Valodolid defender Mohammed Salisu.
Despite being in remarkable form and featuring in all of his club’s 26 La Liga matches this season, including playing 90 minutes in all of his club’s 8 La Liga matches this year, the Black Stars coach still overlooked the young defender.
Veteran journalist, Mohammed Amin Lamptey is one of the journalists who have questioned CK Akunnor’s decision to overlook the in-form defender.
“The non inclusion of Mohammed Salisu, unless he is injured or refused a call up, cannot in anyway be justified by any football reason,” wrote Amin Amin Lamptey in his latest epistle on Ghana football.
“My cursory investigation on Salisu just after the press conference revealed that the player (Salisu) is not only the most consistent Ghanaian defender in Europe. He is one of the most consistent defenders in the entire La Liga this season,” Amin Lamptey added.
Amin Lamptey went ahead to outline the impressive statistics of the player and questioned the scouting prowess of the Black Stars coach for missing such a consistent player.
“Statistically, he has played in all 26 La Liga matches for Vallodolid this season, starting in 25 and playing 90 minutes in 23 out of the 26 La Liga matches.”
“And if the argument is on current form, then it is even more shocking that Coach CK Akonnor has dropped him. In 2020, he has played the entire 90 minutes of Valladolid’s 8 La Liga matches in Januaru and February.”
“What else should a Ghanaian player do to warrant a call up to the BlackbStars if this unbelievable statistics could not convince Coach CK Akonnor,” Amin Amin Lamptey added.
The Black Stars Coach is reported to have explained that he couldn’t invite the player because he could not contact him on time. But the veteran journalist has shot down that explanation, describing it as laughable.
He questioned the sort of scouting the Black Stars coach underwent in Europe for about three weeks if he couldn’t contact such an in-form player.
“CK Akonnor is reported to have explained that he could not contact the player on time. Really? This is not only laughable, but a great display of unseriousness on the part of CK,” wrote Amin Lamptey.
“How can you say you could not contact one if the most in form and consistent Ghanaian players in Europe? What at all did you do during your stay in Europe for several days?,”
“The questionable snub of Salisu cannot be justified. It is indeed unacceptable and it is unfair to deny such a young player who is innthe form of his life the opportunity to play for his country.”
The Black Stars will face Sudan twice this month in the 2021 Afcon qualifiers.
Ghana leads its group with maximum 6 points after defeating South Africa and Sao Tome last year.
