GhanaWeb Feature by Benjamin Sackey

Ghanaian coach James Kwasi Appiah has led the Sudanese national team to secure a historic qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 12 years.

The qualification has brought joy to many Sudanese who have been battling chaos for quite some time and are still dealing with the situation.

Kwasi Appiah’s poor performance with the Black Stars team in the 2014 World Cup, marred by controversies among the players, led to his dismissal.

The coach did not give up on his career, as he earned an appointment in September to take charge of the Falcons of Jediane for a year.

Kwasi Appiah’s Profile

James Kwesi Appiah, born on 30 June 1960, also known as Akwasi Appiah, is a Ghanaian football coach and former player.

He became the manager of Ghana in 2017. Appiah, a left-back, played club football with Asante Kotoko, playing for them between 1983 and 1993.

Appiah played for the Ghanaian national team between 1987 and 1992, appearing in two FIFA World Cup qualifying matches; he also captained the team.

He has received technical training from English clubs Manchester City and Liverpool. Appiah was the assistant coach for Ghana between 2007 and 2012.

In 2011, he headed the U23 team to win the All-Africa Games.

He qualified the Black Stars for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, making history as the first African coach to qualify Ghana for the World Cup.

After resigning in September 2014, he was appointed again in April 2017.

In September 2023, Appiah was appointed as the head coach of Sudan’s men’s national team and signed a three-year contract.

Before this appointment, Appiah coached Sudanese club Al-Khartoum in 2014 and helped the team finish fourth in the league.

How Appiah qualified Sudan for the 2025 AFCON

Sudan started their AFCON qualifiers in Group F with a 1-0 win over Niger.

They lost to Angola 2-1 in their second qualifier match.

The most recognizable moment that resonates among Ghanaians is when Sudan held the Black Stars to a goalless draw at the Accra Sports Stadium and defeated them 2-0 at a neutral ground in Libya in October 2024.

Sudan were humiliated 4-1 by Niger in an away game, which nearly dealt a blow to their chances of qualification.

However, in the final game, they drew goalless against Angola to secure a vital point, which helped them qualify for the 2025 AFCON.

After playing six matches in the 2025 AFCON Qualifiers, Sudan finished in second position in Group F with eight points. Angola topped the group with fourteen points, while Niger accumulated seven points, placing them in third position.

At the bottom of the group was Ghana, who accrued three points after losing at the Accra Sports Stadium 2-1.

Sudan joined Angola as the two teams that qualified from Group F.

The team scored five goals, conceded six, and kept two clean sheets. Sudan won two games, drawn two, and lost two.

Appiah will be aiming to put up an impressive performance in the 2025 AFCON in Morocco to enhance his legacy.

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