Former Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien has dismissed claims that cultural differences hinder the performance of Black Stars players born abroad.
Under the leadership of Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku, several players, including Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey, and Elisha Owusu, have switched allegiance to represent the West African nation.
While these players have excelled at their respective clubs, their performances for the national team have drawn criticism, with some attributing their struggles to their cultural upbringing.
Essien, however, strongly disagrees with this notion.
“Sometimes we are funny. When we see these Ghanaians born in Europe, we invite them, and then when things are not going well, we say, ‘Oh, they don’t fit in; they don’t know our culture.’ For me, that’s a bit b**t,” Essien told Sporty FM.
Other foreign-born players such as Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer, Kingsley Schindler, and Denis Odoi have also joined the Black Stars in recent years.
Despite having some of Europe’s top talents, Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations—a first in 20 years—raising questions about the team’s overall performance.