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Soccer News of Monday, 3 September 2012

Source: Prince Dornu-Leiku / 90 MINUTES

Nyaho blasts Kwesi Appiah over 24-man squad

Former GFA boss Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has slammed Black Stars coach Kwasi Appiah for what he describes as excessive and a sign that the national team coach may still be fidgeting through players with the next Africa Cup of Nations barely 5 months away.

Qualifying for January’s competition in South Africa is next on the agenda of the Black Stars and Coach Appiah released a 24 man team, including five home based players, this week for the first leg of the final round qualifier against Malawi in Accra next weekend.

The team will travel three days later to play Liberia in a friendly in Monrovia as part of their Independence Day celebrations but Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe insists the number is just too much.

“24 players for a national team is too much, the number is very huge. We could have done with 18 or even 20 but 24 is like he is now coming to assess them. It’s like he does not know them at all.

“If that is the way he’s going to make his selection then he will create problems. At training, each and every player would like to prove himself and you end up with injuries,” Nyaho said.

The former GFA Chairman added: “This should not be about large numbers. 18 players would have been okay or if you say you are playing two matches, then 20 is okay but 24 is too huge.

“It’s clear that he is trying them and this is not the time to try players. If he wants to know the boys, he has to be interactive with them and monitor the good ones to call at a time.

“What he is doing is not different from what the white coaches come here to do, they just assemble the boys without teaching them anything.”