Akwasi Appiah has shrugged off any thoughts which sought to point out his lack of authority required to succeed as a Black Stars coach.

The 51-year-old was officially presented to the media on Tuesday as the new Ghana coach tasked with qualifying and winning the 2013 Nations Cup and making a semifinal berth at the 2014 World Cup.

Critics however say the ex Black Stars captain is not assertive enough to manage the big egos of the current crop – a perceived deficiency Appiah says is not representative of his personality.

“I think people are right to say that because I personally believe none of you really know me, not even the GFA,” he said.

“The Kwasi Appiah off the pitch is totally different from the Kwasi Appiah on the job so I like the way I am being underrated.”

Appiah’s immediate brief will be to guide the Black Stars through two 2014 World Cup qualifiers in June against Lesotho and reigning African champions Zambia – the same side which prevented Ghana from making its second successive Nations Cup finals.