Desailly gets Kuffour backing on Ghana job

Ghana football legend was on SuperSport Soccer Africa on Thursday, and he put his weight behind Marcel Desailly to get the Black Stars job. The ex-Bayern Munich defender identified a pairing with current caretaker boss, Kwasi Appiah, to be an excellent combo for the side.

Ghana are gunning for a slot in the 2013 African Cup of Nations as well as the 2014 World Cup, but are currently without a head coach following the sacking of Goran Stevanovic weeks ago.

In the interim, the country's football governing body is headhunting, with Desailly the frontrunner from all indications. Kuffour pushed for Desailly on the hugely popular Soccer Africa show, saying Marcel's experience as a player and his knowledge of Ghana is a potent force that the team had harness.

"You need somebody who can push for things to happen and I think Marcel is such a person. He knows the game, which is very important. He understands what it means to play for a national team who everybody is looking up to," Kuffour said on the show.

He continued: "For me if there is a possibility, I think Desailly should be given the job. It will be nice to see Kwasi Appiah assist him, because he has been in the system for a long time and will give Marcel vital information on the local side. If you combine Marcel's international exposure and Kwasi's local wisdom, it will very great.”

Kuffour identified that the problem Ghana has had in the past with its successful expat coaches has been a knowledge of the world game, but a lack of depth when it comes to harnessing local talent. But he believes this combination will make things happen.

"If you look like somebody like [Ghana's former Serbian boss] Milovan [Rajevac], he was very good. He took the time to get local talents from the under 20 team that won the World Cup as well, so he had a good mix. If Marcel should come in, he has lived in Ghana on-and-off for quite some time now. He knows how Ghanaians like to see local players in the local league do well. I think he will pay attention to that."

Kuffour also addressed the issue of egos in the national team, and if Marcel will not have issues with it. "How will that happen? Marcel has won almost everything, so when somebody like that is in front of you, what you do is listen. I know he doesn't have coaching experience, but in life everything is a risk."

"I think Marcel is a good risk. But if he is chosen, we must make sure he takes the words of Kwasi Appiah seriously, because Kwasi knows what he is about. Trust me on that."

Soccer Africa airs every Thursday on SuperSport, and is the channel's flagship African football show.

Report: Gary Al-Smith, SuperSport Ghana editor

Twitter: @garyalsmith