Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has given a “100%” backing to James Kwasi Appiah’s rumoured return as head coach of the senior national team.
Former Black Stars coach Appiah has been tipped as a favourite for the hot-seat following the departure of veteran Israeli Avram Grant and former President Kufuor has assented to his return.
According to the former President, Ghanaians must do away with the perception that expatriates are the best and give Appiah the backing he deserves to return to the post.
“I love Akwasi, i would support him a 100% but i dont know what is wrong with Ghana. Somehow we tend to believe that the foreigner, the white person is the right person to coach,” President Kufuor said after receiving members of the late coach Sam Arday’s family at his residence.
“No, I don’t see it that way, I believe in the individual.. You may get a white coach who is a master and I believe in this day and age, You may get a black coach who is also a master”.
President Kufuor contends that Appiah has done a stellar job at his Sudanese club and should be given another crack at the Black Stars job on similar terms as immediate past coach Avram Grant.
He said: “If you are lucky to have such a person in your country. of course, you should pay the person as you would pay a white because its a global market as I have told and Kwasi I believe will do exceptionally well.
“He is performing well in Sudan so why shouldn’t he come back to do it for us? I would support his coming back”.
Kwasi Appiah joined Sudanese side Al Khartoum in December 2014 shortly after he was relieved off his post as Black Stars coach on September 11.
He made history as the first indigene to lead Ghanaian to qualify the Black Stars for the FIFA World Cup in 2014 but paid the price with his job for a crisis-hit campaign which saw players threaten to strike over winning bonuses and attack management members.
Source : Graphic Online
