Bad Coaching: Is Kwesi Appiah the right coach for the Black Stars?

The 58-year-old is obviously not the favourite of many Ghanaians, and he seemed to have widened that gap

Barely an international football week passes without Ghanaians finding something to talk about with regards to football.

Two months ago, it was the World Cup, but this week has been dominated by talk of the Black Stars and their coach, Kwesi Appiah.

In a period where Ghana football looks almost in shambles, the national team had the chance to re-write the scripts by winning against Kenya in Saturday’s AFCON qualifier.

However, after 90 minutes, the Black Stars couldn’t conjure that magic and rather fell to a disappointing 0-1 loss to the Harambee Stars.

A lot has since been said about this latest loss, and more so about the suitability of Kwesi Appiah as the team’s coach.

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The 58-year-old is obviously not the favourite of many Ghanaians, and he seemed to have widened that gap with the decision to exclude captain Asamoah Gyna and the Ayew brothers from his latest call-up.

It is true he has had some good games – like beating Egypt 6-1 in Kumasi and thrashing Ethiopia 5-0 in Accra – but many still feel he has a lot to learn.

Before the game against Kenya, he showed that he had the balls to make tough calls by excluding some senior players from the squad. However, he was once again at his doubting best when he bowed to public pressure on the status of Kwadwo Asamoah.

The Inter Milan midfielder was returning to the national team fold after a four-year hiatus, and many felt the Black Stars coach would have showed double standards if he allowed him walk into the starting XI.

The pressure mounted and Appiah fell. Having the luxury of Kwadwo Asamoah in your team is one thing, but leaving him on the bench when you lack the needed quality is another thing. Only a man bowing to public pressure would take such a decision.

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Appiah’s second coming was supposed to have brought a reformed man – one who had learned and upgraded both his skills and personality.

Personality-wise it looks like he has improved, but in terms of tactics a lot still remain to be learned.

Despite the loss against Kenya, the Black Stars are still likely to qualify for the AFCON, but the question remains: Is Kwesi Appiah the best man to lead the team?