Kumasi, Feb. 2, GNA - A former coach of the Senior National Team, the Black Stars, Emmanuel Kwasi Afranie, has commended the team for winning silver at the just-ended Orange Africa Cup of Nations Tournament in Angola. Coach Afranie attributed the team's success to commitment, unity and discipline among the playing body, adding that even though the technical handlers fielded virtually young players they played with determination to achieve their objectives.

He, however, cautioned that the success of the team should not mislead the technical handlers to discard the services of the senior players who missed out of the Angolan tournament for various reasons. Speaking to the GNA Sports in Kumasi on Tuesday, the former Black Stars coach said those in good form should be given the first option to strengthen the team as the Stars prepare for the prestigious FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

"Some of the senior players in my estimation are more experienced, tried and tested and we cannot therefore discard their services at a time Ghana is aspiring to achieve glory at the international stage", he said. Coach Afranie on his comments on the performance of the other countries, praised Egypt for their performance and said their success story in the last six years in the CAN competitions had been the fruit of good planning, hard work and motivation of the players by the Egyptian authorities.

The Pharaohs of Egypt won their third consecutive Nations Cup in Angola, bringing to a record seven, the number of times they had lifted the Cup which is unsurpassed on the continent.

Coach Afranie said he was however not particularly happy with the performance of some of the national teams that had qualified for the impending World Cup competition, adding that they would need to lift up their game and raise the image of African football at the bigger stage.