Sports News of Thursday, 6 April 2017

Source: goal.com

Kwesi Appiah could end Ghana's trophy drought - Kwaku Osei

Kwesi Appiah, Black Stars Coach Kwesi Appiah, Black Stars Coach

The football association chief who did not support Appiah's bid, says he will back the new coach to win the Afcon trophy for the nation

Ghana Football Association executive committee member, Wilfred Kwaku Osei, believes Kwesi Appiah is the right person to lead Ghana in the hunt to end a 35-year run without a major trophy.

Appiah was named Ghana's head coach on Tuesday in his second coming, to replace Avram Grant in a two-year deal.

The 56-year-old initially handled the Black Stars between 2012 and 2014, guiding them to qualify for the 2014 Fifa World Cup and reaching the semi-finals of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

"Kwesi Appiah can definitely win Ghana the Afcon trophy because in the football history of ours, all those coaches that won the previous four titles were Ghanaians. There is no expatriate whose record can match that of the local coaches, so I believe the GFA took a good decision," Osei told Happy FM.

"I did not like his appointment initially because I have the right to also share my view but I will support him wholeheartedly in spite of everything so that the country can chalk some success.

"My only worry is about the two years we gave Kwesi Appiah. It should have been at least four years so that he can have enough time to plan and arrange things the way he believes it will make him a success.

"But, I believe he will be able to deliver especially the Afcon trophy within his first two years in charge of the team," he added.

Appiah is expected to arrive in Ghana from Sudan this week to finalise his paperwork and will officially begin his job on May 1.