Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), George Afriyie, has expressed his belief that GFA President Kurt Okraku made a significant mistake by dismissing Kwesi Appiah as head coach of the Black Stars.
Appiah was let go shortly after Okraku assumed the presidency, following Ghana’s exit in the Round of 16 at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt. He was subsequently replaced by his assistant, CK Akonnor.
Now coaching the Sudanese national team, Appiah recently led his squad to a 2-0 victory over the Black Stars in a 2025 AFCON qualifier, adding to his success after the teams had previously played to a goalless draw at the Accra Sports Stadium.
In light of Appiah’s recent achievements, Afriyie underscored the sound reasoning behind Appiah’s initial appointment by the previous GFA administration under Kwesi Nyantakyi and criticized Okraku’s decision to let him go.
“We should credit Kwesi Appiah for the good job he has done. He had a strong technical team and good players when Kurt Okraku was voted into office as president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA),” he told Asempa FM.
“Kwesi Nyantakyi’s administration decided to appoint Kwesi Appiah because we realized he had served under two Serbian coaches, giving him invaluable experience. Let’s not forget he masterminded Ghana’s 6-1 victory over Egypt to qualify us for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“What transpired in Brazil was not his fault, as the Sports Minister was set up to fail. However, when Kurt Okraku took over, he stated he didn’t want Kwesi Appiah and convinced Akufo Addo to have him sacked.
“Now, with Kwesi Appiah facing Ghana in the AFCON qualifiers, it’s payback time, and he has executed it wonderfully well. That is nature,” Afriyie added.
Ghana’s recent defeat to Sudan leaves the Black Stars third in Group F, with just two points from four matches. In contrast, Appiah’s Sudan sits in second place with seven points.
To secure a place in next year’s AFCON tournament, the Black Stars will require Sudan to lose their upcoming matches against Niger and Angola, while they must prepare for their own final group matches against the same opponents next month.
