Ghana Premier League legend Charles Assampong Taylor says it’s negative and connotes inferiority to refer to players in the domestic league as “local players.”
The former Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak forward believes players in the league are also professional footballers.
For many years, footballers in the Ghana Premier League have been labelled local players by both fans and journalists alike.
However, in June, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) changed the name of the CHAN team from Local Black Stars to the Black Galaxies.
Taylor said all footballers in the domestic league must be referred to as professional players and not local players.
“The term ‘local player’ should be abolished. It has negative effect on the players,” the 41-year-old told Angel TV.
“They’re all professional players. In Ghana people think local rice is inferior to foreign. That’s our mindset. Afriyie Barnie is a professional player not a local player.”
Taylor was one of the most exciting talents in the Ghana Premier League from the late nineties to the early 2000s.
He was part of Hearts’ famous 64 Battalion that won the treble of league, FA Cup and CAF Champions League in 2000.
He later crossed carpets to play for Hearts’ bitter rivals Asante Kotoko, in what was a very controversial transfer move.
Taylor is remembered by many Ghanaians for his electric pace and skills on the flanks, having dazzled in his prime. He is also a former top scorer in the Ghanaian league.
Pulse
