‘Coach Appiah Needs Further Training’

A former member of the Ghana Football Association Management Board (GFA), Dr Kofi Amoah, has stressed the need for Coach Kwasi Appiah to have the highest form of training to build his capacity to make the Black Stars a world beater.

He said such top-level training was a sure way for Appiah to rub shoulders with the best coaches across the globe and enhance Ghana’s chances in major tournaments.

“We need to become a part of the global football knowledge that is now at the highest level.

“If we want to compete with the top soccer nations then our coaches must also have the same level of knowledge as that of the top countries,” Dr Amoah said in an interview with the Graphic Sports.

Dr Amoah, a strong advocate for an indiginous coach to handle the Stars, said despite his delight when Appiah was handed the tough task of leading the national team, he still thought just appointing local coaches for the senior national team without enhancing their competence was not enough.

“Though it is a good thing to have our own handling the Black Stars, we must train them further. We must give them the highest form of coaching training,” he emphasised.

“Having our own person do the job isn’t enough. It is a necessary condition but not sufficient.”

He recalled how legendary Charles Kumi Gyamfi was appointed and equipped by way of foreign attachments in Germany to handle the Stars during the Kwame Nkrumah regime, and recommended same for coach Appiah to upgrade his knowledge in the modern game.

“We need to invest some resources to train our people and send them on attachments; not only Kwasi Appiah but there are some young coaches who can also be sent on attachment with foreign clubs,” Dr Amoah pointed out.

The business mogul said he saw nothing wrong with sending local coaches on attachment abroad since it was a necessary requirement for them to compete favourably with the best in the world.

“We should give ourselves between five and 10 years to train our coaches and we shouldn’t be ashamed of learning from somebody because that somebody also learnt from somebody,” he stated.

“We have to send more local coaches on attachment to increase their knowledge so it can enhance our local game.”