FC AshantiGold 04 CEO Edward Akuoko has urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to form a separate Black Stars team for local players.

He believes this will give homegrown talents a better chance to join the senior national team; the Black Stars.

According to him Ghana can develop enough local players to replace foreign-based stars whenever they are unavailable, which will help the Black Stars stay competitive without relying too much on players plying their trade abroad.

The AshantiGold 04 chief wants the GFA to identify, develop and give the country's best local players a chance to play for the national team.

Speaking to Luv FM, Akuoko supported the idea of having separate teams for local and foreign-based players, with both side's coming together when needed.

“We can have a local Black Stars team, and then we can have the foreign base as well, and then we can always blend them so that whenever the foreign ones are not available, the local ones can step in.

"I think that history has it that we've done this before and it worked for Ghana. A time came when we had a local Black stars that was playing so well to the point that there were times that even the local black stars were even playing much better than even the foreign ones.”

Akuoko believes the system would give local players greater opportunities to prove their worth while ensuring the Black Stars have reliable alternatives when key players miss matches through injuries, suspensions or other circumstances.

He also stressed that regular training and playing together would help local-based players develop the understanding needed to compete effectively at international level.

“One thing is that when you use the local black stars, first of all, you are able to build cohesion because they are always available at your best and core.

“These foreign players sometimes, through no fault of theirs, are not consistent. And we all know that football, to a large extent, is about consistency. I mean, when players are able to play together, train together.

"The cohesion comes and they're able to play well. And so if we're having challenges, I think that it's not a bad idea,” he added.