While some are optimistic about his installation, others have expressed fears about Kwesi Appiah’s appointment as Black Stars Coachthe second time…
The long wait for a new coach for Ghana’s team -the Black Stars, has finally come to an end. Former coach James Kwesi Appiah was on April 4, approved by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as the new manager for the team. The new Black Stars coach signed a two-year deal with the executive committee of the GFA. The deal which takes effect from May 1, 2017, is expected to end in 2019.
Kwesi Appiah is making a comeback to the team, after having managed the Black Stars from April 2012 to September 2014; an unforgettable era which has brought back some memories among football lovers in Ghana.
The question about the kind of memories which the Kwesi Appiah’s appointment has brought back might be running through your mind. But before you think further, here is a reminder of the series of events.
Kwesi Appiah left the Black stars following a disappointing performance at the Brazil 2014 Word Cup, where the team had failed to exceed group stage for the first time ever. The 2014 World Cup tournament also saw some players in the team engage in a heated dispute over bonus payments; circumstances which led to the dismissal of some key players from the team.
It can be recalled that it was during the tussle that key figures Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng, were suspended from the Black Stars for misconduct.
However, Appiah’s exceptional records include grooming young players and helping them develop. It was he who groomed so many big names in today’s Ghana football squad. Ace players like Baba Rahman, Christian Atsu, Jeffery Schulpp, and many others were all groomed by the 56-year-old coach.
While Appiah has lots of good records to his name, the epic taint of image at the 2014 World Cup which is still fresh in the minds of Ghanaians, now raises some questions among football lovers across the country.
Social media have been buzzing with various mixed reactions to Kwesi Appiah’s appointment as new Black Stars coach. Ghanaians who are not very pleased with the news, took to several social media platforms to express their fears regarding Appiah’s return to head the national team once more. Some are afraid that the new Black stars coach will fail Ghanaians yet again, like in 2014.
Other football stakeholders however, are very well pleased with the news and are also enthusiastic about working with the new coach who is currently a manager at Sudanese side Al Khartuom FC. People in the likes of Former Ghana International, Nii Odartey Lamptey, has backed the re-appointment of Kwesi Appiah as Black Stars Head Coach. According to Odartey Lamptey, nothing has changed since he left the first time.
People in the likes of Former Ghana International, Nii Odartey Lamptey have backed the re-appointment of Kwesi Appiah as Black Stars Head Coach. According to Odartey Lamptey, nothing has changed in the team since he left the first time.
The former Ghana International is confident that the new coach has learned from his mistakes, and will do Ghana proud in his second stint as head coach. Speaking to Citi Fm, Odartey Lamptey suggested that Kwesi Appiah be assisted by a number of former players to help him settle better into the job.
More Ghana Internationals have also backed Kwesi Appiah’s appointment as the new Black Stars coach. Black Stars skipper Asamoah Gyan shares the same opinion with Nii Lante on the latest Black Stars coach. According to Gyan, the appointment of Kwesi Appiah as coach brings a new era of optimism after the disappointments and frustrations of the past.
Like Lante, Gyan is also positive that the new manager has learned a lot from his past mistakes and will do better this time around. The new coach has continued to receive admonitions from past and present heroes of Ghanaian football, ahead of his assumption of duties.
Born on 30 June 1960, James Kwesi Appiah was a former Asante Kotoko defender and for the senior national team of the Black Stars. The 56-year-old played for Kotoko between 1983 and 1993 and for the Black Stars between 1987 and 1992. He was in 2007, made an assistant coach to Claude Le Roy and also served under coach Goran Stevanovic.
He became manager of Sudanese club Al Khartoum in December 2014. Kwesi Appiah is expected to round things up at the Sudanese side to fully start his duties on May 1, 2017.
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