Former Black Stars midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah has urged football coaches and talent scouts to look beyond individual skill when identifying young players, stressing that discipline, tactical awareness, leadership and a player’s overall contribution are equally important in determining their potential.
Asamoah made these remarks on Tuesday August 18, 2026 during a presentation organised by the Department of Physical Education and Sports Studies (PESSA) at the University of Ghana.
The session, themed “From Football to Fortune”, featured the former Juventus and Inter Milan midfielder as guest speaker, with the Director of Sports and Wellbeing at the University of Ghana, Dr Austin Luguterah, serving as host.
Speaking on player identification, Asamoah argued that technical ability alone should not be the deciding factor when coaches assess young footballers.
“It’s not all about you being skillful, it’s about how you’ve been disciplined”.
The former Juventus player explained that coaches are often required to prioritise players who understand and execute tactical instructions because, ultimately, their responsibility is to produce results.
He also noted that a player may appear more talented individually, but a coach could still favour another player who is more tactically disciplined and capable of performing a specific role within the team’s system.
“There are some players tactically they are very disciplined, and every coach wants a result. So if I’m a coach, I will put a player that will be disciplined to what formation I want the player to play as a role on the pitch” he said.
Asamoah compared football to draught (checkers) to illustrate how one player’s failure to follow the team’s tactical instructions can affect the entire side.
According to him, football is a collective game in which the actions of one player can create consequences for the rest of the team.
“I always say football is more like a draft. If one player is indisciplined and doesn’t play according to the same system, one movement can just destroy or cost a team” Asamoah said.
He therefore challenged Ghanaian coaches and talent identifiers not to place too much emphasis on players who are capable of dribbling opponents however focus on the holistic approach of scouting young talents.
In Asamoah’s view, the most talented player is not always the most skilful one — sometimes, it is the player who understands what the team needs and has the discipline to deliver it.
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Story by Samuel Annang|univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by John Foh
