Soccer News of Friday, 26 September 2014

Source: yvette a. serwaah (info@sports24gh.com)

Appiah Unmask 2010 Untold Story

Former captain of the Black Stars Stephen Appiah has explained the myth that characterized Ghana's elimination of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South African.

Many Ghanaians until today held the view that Stephen Appiah wanted to take the spot kick after Luis Suarez had blocked a goal bound ball with his hand but speaking at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the 2014 World Cup on Thursday the former skipper gave a true account of what happened at the time.

"My lord when Suarez hand hit the ball, the ball had crossed the line and I also saw the assistant referee 2 running towards the centre line which means the ball was a goal so I picked the ball and urged my boys to go back and restart but not to take the penalty as people have been saying,” Appiah explained.

Ghana lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter finals after Africa's leading goal scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup Asamoah Gyan had missed a penalty kick in the extra time.

Stephen Appiah who led the Black Stars to two FIFA World Cups in 2006 (Germany) and 2010 (South Africa) said he is considering going into full time coaching and when commissioner Kofi Anokye asked why he did not intervene in the Kevin/K. Appiah issue he said he thought it wise to hold on for a while.

"My lord in situations like that you need to allow the player to calm down first because maybe the more you keep asking questions the more provocative a player becomes."

"I think coaching is about your ability to managing things because you have 25 players with different characters and egos at your disposal so if you can manage each and every one of them then you can succeed," he added.