Sports News of Thursday, 25 July 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

MPs divided over Kwesi Appiah’s future

MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa play videoMP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

As the Ministry of Youth and Sports await a report by the Normalization Committee on Ghana's participation in the 2019 AFCON, some members Parliament have offered their views on the future of coach Kwesi Appiah.

Kwesi Appiah's future has become a topic of discussion following Ghana’s early exit from the AFCON.

While some Ghanaians want him out, others hold that the he can't be blamed for the team's poor performance in Egypt.

Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah stated that his outfit is awaiting a comprehensive report from the the NC upon which a definite pronouncement will be made about Kwesi Appiah's future.

“The Ministry has called for a comprehensive report from the Normalization Committee after which a study and determination of what went wrong will be made and recommendations will be made for the way forward of Ghana football in particular and sports in particular”.

The sports minister hinted of a possible axing of the coach when he said “The head coach and captain of the team have intimated severally that they’ve had the best of preparations ever in recent times. Indeed all their demands were met and onus lied on the team to deliver”.

Commenting on the issue on the floor of Parliament the Member of Parliament for Tema East, Titus Glover ‘disagreed’ with those calling for Kwesi Appiah’s head, claiming that the anti-Kwesi Appiah crusaders are doing so with an objective giving the position to a foreign coach.


“There are a lot of people who are calling for the head of the manager and for that matter the coach. We are doing this because at the end of the day we’ll come back to say there’s a need to go for a foreign coach. I totally disagree with those who want to make that argument that will land us in getting a foreign coach”.

However MP for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa rejected claims by his colleague that Kwesi Appiah’s is being criticized because he is a Ghanaian.

Okudzeto Ablakwa expressed the need for the government to recruit a fresh and more competent coach to handle the Black Stars.

“It is not that the coach is a Ghanaian coach that is why he is being criticized. I think that in Ghana the can many other Ghanaian coaches. I would like to see many more Ghanaian coaches. If there can be a better Ghanaian coach to bring competition to help us achieve our dreams, why not. I do not think that in the whole of Ghana its only Kwesi Appiah who can take us to the promise land”.

Kwesi Appiah was offered a new deal by the Normalization Committee following the expiration of his initial two-year contract. The new contract, according to reports will end in December.