Frimpong Manso concerned over rising trend of young players favoring winger roles

Ghana’s U17 head coach, Frimpong Manso, has expressed concern about a noticeable shift among young Ghanaian footballers, with many increasingly choosing to play as wingers rather than other positions.

In an interview with Peace FM, the former Ghana international attributed this trend to the influence of global football stars.

“Previously, if you asked 8 out of 10 Ghanaian players about their position, most would say midfielder. But now, more and more say, ‘I am a winger,’” Manso revealed.

He pointed out that while many youngsters look up to players like Lionel Messi for inspiration, only a few have the necessary skills to excel as wingers.

“Many say they want to be wingers because of Messi and others, but playing in that position requires specific qualities. That’s where the challenge lies,” he added.

Manso also highlighted the negative impact of this shift, noting a significant drop in the number of natural strikers emerging from Ghana’s youth ranks.

“There has been a sharp decline in the number of strikers,” he said.

His remarks come as Ghana continues to grapple with a shortage of consistent goal-scorers for its national teams.