Sports News of Saturday, 27 April 2019

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Kwesi Appiah insists current Black Stars squad are more talented than 2015 squad

Black Stars Forward Kwesi Appiah Black Stars Forward Kwesi Appiah

AFC Wimbledon striker Kwesi Appiah believes the current Black Stars squad have much more talent to lift the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title than the 2015 squad.

The four-time champions are seeking to end their 37-year wait for continental success, having won their last title in 1982.

The West Africa powerhouse have come close to ending their drought at the last six tournaments, having reached the semi-finals, and even going as far as the final in 2010 and 2015.

According to the 28-year-old forward, 28, the 2019 Ghana squad is potentially more talented than the group of players that reached the 2015 Nations Cup final in Equatorial Guinea.

"The group has been built over a longer period of time. Back in 2015, the manager Avram Grant was brand new so he had to select players over a short period of time without having a long period to bed them all in together,” Appiah told BBC.com

"This time around, the experience as a group is a lot more tight because they've been through training camps, been through qualification, been through friendlies and this manager is building this squad around this tournament to really at our best for this tournament.”

Appiah netted two goals in seven appearances for the Black Stars during the 2015 competition.

Ghana will play in Group F of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt alongside Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau.