Kwesi Appiah named new Black Stars coach

The Ghana Football Association (GFA), has named James Kwesi Appiah as the new coach of the senior national team, the Black Stars.

This will be his second coaching run as the Black Stars head coach, after a stint from April 2012 to September 2014, when he left by mutual consent after a tumultuous Word Cup campaign in Brazil marred by player expulsions and salary rows.

Kwesi Appiah will be handed a two-year contract and will start his duties on 1st May, 2017. He will also take full charge of the Local Black Stars.

He will assume the position after a coaching spell with Al Khartoum SC in Sudan.

The decision to re-appoint the former Asante Kotoko captain was taken by the Executive Committee of the GFA on Tuesday, after approving the report of the six-man coaching search committee.

The committee headed by the GFA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, whittled down the number of coaches interested from over hundred to three.

Frenchman, Willy Sagnol and Cameroon boss, Hugo Broos, had been interviewed for the position.

He will be tasked to end Ghana’s trophy drought at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, but must overcome Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Kenya in the qualifiers which start in June 2017.

Appiah must weave his magic and revive Ghana’s hopes in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying as the Stars currently lie third in their group with one point from two games.

The Black Stars had been without a coach since former Chelsea coach, Avram Grant, ended his stay after the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

A fourth-placed finish at the tournament in Gabon and an unimpressive start in the World Cup qualifiers sealed the fate of Grant.

source:citifmonline