President of Ghana Football Association (GFA) has rubbished reports of the credibility and integrity of their judgement in the reappointment of James Kwesi Appiah as the next Manager of the Black Stars.
Media reports had suggested that the six-member committee sanctioned by the Executive Committee of the GFA was under pressure to appoint Kwesi Appiah over Willy Sagnol and Hugo Broos because of the national clamour for his return and further reappointment by the general public.
The reports also sought to challenge the committee’s seriousness in the criteria used in the selection of the successor of Avram Grant who agreed to part ways with the Black Stars in February. Politics and other external factors have been speculated to have forced the committee to succumb to pressure in endorsing the former Black Stars defender to lead the team in the capture of the 2018 and 2019 African Cup of Nations.
Before the announcement, there had been a huge clamour for the reappointment of Kwesi Appiah as they thought the team would be better off with a Ghanaian coach with influential people like former President J. A. Kufuor backing such a move.
“Kwesi Appiah was chosen because he scored the highest marks of score sheets of all the interviewees who took part in the selection process. He got the highest marks. Of all the three coaches that were interviewed and of all the 95 applicants, he was the most suitable for the job,” Mr. Nyantakyi stated.
According to Mr. Nyantakyi, the FA’s search committee mandated to pick Avram Grant’s replacement was made up of credible individuals and doubted whether any external influence could change their criteria during its work. He noted that the selection and the interview process underwent due diligence and urged the public to treat the reports with the utmost contempt it deserves.
He disclosed that the target of the GFA for the next coach to win trophies for the nation “so there was no need to hire a coach who is not in a position to achieve such feats because that is what is lacking despite everything the Black Stars ha achieved over the years”.
The 52-year-old who made history by qualifying and handling the Black Stars at the 2014 FIFA World Cup where the team exited in the first round would be also be required to test his wits in surpassing Egypt in the reminder of matches in the qualification to the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia.
”We want the Black Stars to win trophies, so ultimately we the Executive Committee and whoever will be given the mantle as with Kwesi Appiah is to ensure that we win trophies. That is; the Africa Cup, the World Cup and so on,” Nyantakyi said.
”Qualifying for the World Cup is not an impossibility. When we sit down we will discuss the bench mark that we want him Kwesi Appiah to achieve. And one of them is not qualify us to the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations FIFA World Cup. ‘It is not far from being achieved. There seem to be many impediments and challenges, but we will discuss them and see how we can surmount them when he starts work”.
The GFA boss also confirmed that Kwesi Appiah will be assisted with two assistant coaches to serve in dual roles in the next two years. The decision, according to Mr. Nyantakyi will pave way for a new direction building a formidable team with the national team.
“There is a consideration for that because the head coach of the Black Stars will also be the head coach for the CHAN team so we thought that it will be wise for the person to have two assistants who will help in managing the two teams.
“We also think that these assistants should be people who are capable of taking up the mantle one day. Based on the discussions with him, we will consider certain positions….We are the appointing authority”.
“We will appoint him and whoever he wants to work with. But there’s nothing wrong with the coach recommending certain people to positions… we will have a meeting that will smoothen all the rough edges for him to take off,” the GFA boss said after the approval of Appiah.
Kwesi Appiah is due to start official duties as head coach on May 1, 2017
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