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By Amaechi Agbo

Egyptian great, Mohamed Aboutrika has charged African countries to stop inviting foreign-based players to their matches instead he advised that they should invite only local players who would be ready to deliver, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report

Aboutrika often considered the best Egyptian player in history and is widely regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time, came close to winning the 2008 Africa Footballer of the Year but lost to Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayo in controversial circumstances.

The five-time CAF Champions League winner reckoned that foreign-based players do not give their best for their countries adding that invitation of only local players will change the face of Africa football and develop the game.

“All African National teams should call only local players. You will watch passionate football with fire, hunger and good style.

“Nobody will be scared of tackles because in his head he is thinking about Liverpool or Madrid while playing for his country. Our local players would give us our traditional football pride back.

“These other players they don’t even want to be too committed because they think if ‘I get injured on national duty I will lose my place at Arsenal’ blah blah. But when it’s time to go to the World cup they pretend as if they cared while they didn’t.

“Take local players even to the World Cup just to teach lessons to European based African Players that we can play football without them and do great despite where we are playing. Taking Local Players to World Cups would open eyes even to FIFA that now Africa wants to build their own football journey and be independent like Europe and stop being a feeding talent to other continents.

“Block all the sales of local players and supply them with what they want and stay home entertain Africa, then our football would be back,” he said.

Aboutrika helped Egypt to win two successive AFCON in 2006 and 2008.