Sports News of Sunday, 11 August 2019
Source: —
2019-08-11
The former Ghanaian star is urging the country to maintain Akwesi Appiah as head coach
Former Ghana player Awudu Issaka wants James Appiah to remain as the Black Stars coach despite the team’s recent poor showing at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt.
In search for their first continental title since 1982, there was nothing but disappointment for the West Africans as they suffered a Round of 16 elimination by a penalty shootout defeat to Tunisia.
Appiah’s future has since been thrown in doubt amid incessant calls for his dismissal.
“Ghanaians are not happy about the coach and want him gone because he failed but at the end of the day, he is our own man [being a local coach],” Issaka told Atinka FM.
“If you look at the new proposal [Code of conduct] that will regulate the players behavior, it [shows] he has learned from his mistakes.
“Let’s forgive and give him another chance.”
The Ghana Football Association Normalisation Committee is yet to make an official declaration regarding Appiah’s future.
According to media rumours, the 59-year-old will stay on until his contract runs out in December.
He was appointed Ghana coach in 2017, the job being his second stint in charge of the national outfit.
The former Al-Khartoum man first led the Black Stars between 2012 and 2014, including a disappointing showing at the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil causing his sacking back then.
Issaka, now a coach, is mostly remembered for his exploits in helping Ghana win the 1995 Fifa U17 World Cup in Ecuador.
