"We came here to win [but] the better side won on penalties. – Coach Kwesi Appiah

"We're all really sad now. That's normal. We're down, but we have to psyche ourselves up now for the third place play-off with Mali." – Asamoah Gyan (Captain, Black stars).

What was the coach’s response, 3 – 1 against Mali and people want me to believe the Black Stars did well under his guidance? Am sorry but am not in the least convinced when I have Stephen Keshi , Sellas Tetteh and Jones Attoquafio to look at. Again can anyone convince me that Stephen Kwesi Appiah did better than our past two foreign coaches? A categorical no by me considering the fact that, under the past two coaches, the Blacks Stars played with a clearly defined formation and tactic. This team just failed to show up from the first march.

Pardon me for being such a critic but to make it simple, I lay the blame right at the doorstep of the coach Mr. Kwesi Appiah same way as his colleague on the other side is being showered with praises. Let me first thank the Black Star players for their heroism and accepting the call to duty with their participation in the tournament. The local lads who were lucky to get a call up had a beautiful experience and I believe it will not only remain in their memories for a life time, but also help them build courage to develop better their chosen profession.
Back to Mr Appiah. Under his leadership, the Black Stars simply failed to shine. There was so much hope for the Stars because we had quality players. Rather I would say we got to the semi – finals thriving on luck not by merit. With the exception of the first match which we drew 2-2 with Congo, we had to depend on penalty kicks to progress. Why did we have strikers then when we cannot score in the normal course of play. Appiah got it all wrong when he chose Asamoah Gyan to lead our attack. Gyan lost it when he chose money over his career by leaving for the UAE. I bet you no amount of cash would take Van Persie, Rooney, Tervez, Villa, Aguero or any young enterprising player in his prime to a league outside Europe. If Appiah got his selection right without any emotions, I think Jordan Ayew would have been a better striker to lead our attack.
Why am I saying so. It is obvious the French league is far more competitive that the league in which our selected striker and choice of coach Appiah plays in. Thus for Jordan to survive be playing there and scoring goals, I would at all times go for a striker who trains there with little playing time than a player who plays in the Arab league and score 20 goals in 10 matches. Then again where is Appiah’s point that he was building a team? How could he be building a team when he deliberately left out young talent. If there is a team to build on, then these young men have along future all things being equal and would have needed encouragement and admonition not scorn in the service of mother Ghana. Appiah again got it all wrong.
For those who have a beef with the dropping of the Ayew brothers added to our worse, I share in their belief. That is not to say they could have taken us further than we did but am sure they would have added something extra which the Stars lacked. Dede is a tried tested and proven talent and the excuse that he was axed for indiscipline just doesn’t add up. Then if Appiah wants us to believe he is a coach of international standing am sorry the furthest he could go is coaching Black Stars. What would Alex Ferguson say about his stars and their egos? What about Wenger, Pep Geodiola, Mancini etc? Is it about denying players the opportunity that makes for discipline.
Ayew like any player mindful of his career would certainly prefer medical attention in Europe and his club to our local service which I am not playing down, but one can get better access to facilities to be better catered for out there. How can we begrudge him for that in the name of indiscipline? Appiah by age and even experience as a former captain of the Black Stars should never be intimidated by young men who qualify to be his sons. Besides he is the coach. Whatever that informed his decision to exclude those boys was a bad one which certainly denied the nation of talent. After all Appiah’s argument of wanting to retain his job is that he is building the team. How can he convince me that he is building a team and yet at the same time finds it easy to deny the country of such proven talent?
Again the least said about taking to the tournament fully fit players the better. Man proposes and God ……… Some players were taken to the tournament and never kicked a ball till we were booted out and yet some who were denied the opportunity to show case for Ghana with the excuse of not being fit have since been playing and scoring for their clubs in Europe. There are those who believe these young lads were denied this opportunity to serve their country even though they turned down similar request and opportunity to play for the French nation team because of a past feud between their father and coach Appiah. There is no proof to that so I rather not say much. I only hope it is not so.
If I compare what Appiah did with the same Black Stars and what others coaches did with same boys players, I think Appiah is not up to the task of leading the Black Stars to Brazil and must be replaced. This team lacks purpose, style for which the generation of Abedi pele, Charles Akunnor, Steven Appiah were known for. The past captains as mentioned above not only had style but also possessed leadership. The team under Appiah Kwesi had no formation or playing pattern which had a telling effect on the field. He has no excuses except that he is building the team and the players are yet to gather the experience.
First of all, that is no excuse. You do not go to a cup of nations or tournament to experiment. That is why friendly matches are organised before a tournament to not only try your player, but to also give them the needed exposure. How many tournaments does a player need to play in before he is ready to perform at another? The man got it all wrong from the onset. How can we carry such a mentality to the world cup in Brazil?
Secondly, his selection of Asamoah Gyan as captain was equally wrong. What are his leadership qualities? I say non. Asamoah Gyan does not have what it takes to inspire his colleague. John Bentsil would have been a better choice. Consider the likes of Stephen Appiah, John Mensah, Charles Akunnor then you will see what I am talking about. For example, Michael Essien no doubt has been the nation’s number one midfielder for a while but that does not make him a good captain. What kind of leader is it that develops cool feet when asked to take a penalty when it is his role as a striker to take them? Why were we as a nation paying him those bonuses when we are facing water and electricity crises? We sent him to the cup of nations to score goals but he was running away from scoring goals and he was our captain. I once again blame Appiah, he got it all wrong in his choice.
I am always for a local coach like many Ghanaians so as to give meaning to what the Founding Father of this nation once said, give the African or Black man the opportunity and he would prove himself capable. But that is not to say we are racist but if I consider what Appiah presented us at the just ended AFCON and what our other expatriate coaches did, I think our expatriate coaches did better and yet were given the sack. Appiah does not deserve to stay any longer than he has already. I would suggest we start a search for a more promising Ghanaian to prepare us for Brazil if we are to be taken as a serious football nation once again. What we did in South Africa was just laugheble to say the least. I saw the like of Sam Addy, Jones Attoquafio and now Sellas Tettey and I wasn’t disappointed. That tells us we have talent in Ghana. But to the boys who were under the tutelage of Appiah, I think they all possessed the talent but they had a bad coach.