Debate: Should Kwesi Appiah’s contract be renewed before the World Cup?

In 2010, the Ghana FA were roundly blamed for the eventual departure of then coach Milovan Rajevac because they had failed to contractually tie him down properly.

Is it going to happen again?

Sources tell Citi Sports that the contract of Kwesi Appiah, the current coach, reportedly expires on July 18 this year.

Bigwigs in the football fraternity are chewing on the topic.

FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi believes coach Kwesi Appiah has done more than enough to earn an extension.

“Kwesi Appiah has done very well to be the first indigenous coach to qualify the team to the World Cup. He just didn’t qualify us but he did it in grand style – smashing teams six, four and so on.

“But it is a decision that will be taken at the Executive Committee level but personally I have been very impressed by his work.”

Kwesi Appiah has won 58.3% of his games in all – competitive or otherwise – and his failure to beat any non-African teams in addition to not winning the 2013 African Cup are widely seen as blips.

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“Do it before Brazil starts”

Former Ghana FA boss Ben Koufie also wants Kwesi Appiah’s contract to be renewed before the 2014 World Cup.

“Kwesi (Appiah) has done extremely well to deserve contract extension. There is no need to delay in renewing his mandate. In my view we should extend his contract before the World Cup.

“He needs to focus on the job and therefore we should not leave the matter of contract renewal hanging on his head. To qualify a country to the World Cup is no mean achievement. We need to impose confidence in him by giving him a new deal.”

The danger

These calls from Nyantakyi and Koufie are legitimate because with  three months to the end of the deal, Kwesi Appiah will have the freedom to begin talking with potential employers elsewhere should the FA not talk about renewal now.

But Citi Sports understands that the FA are planning to give him a new deal soon.

Public opinion

On Citi Sports’ African football show – done in collaboration with supersport.com –  that airs on Fridays, FC Africa, BBC journalist Michael Oti-Adjei and veteran journalist Christopher Opoku provided professional insight into the two year tenure of the coach.

The discussion was driven by the public’s views on social media.

YOU CAN LISTEN AGAIN OR DOWNLOAD THE SHOW AGAIN HERE:

By: Gary Al-Smith/Citifmonline.com/Ghana