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Soccer News of Monday, 8 January 2001

Source: GNA

Kwesi Appiah gets the nod

The head coach of the senior national team, the Black Stars, Cecil Jones Attuquayfio, has nominated Mr Kwesi Appiah, a former skipper of the Black Stars as his assistant.

Consequently Coach Attuquayfio has presented him to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) which has given its blessing to his choice.

Disclosing this to the GNA Sports in Accra on Friday, the former skipper said although he has contributed immensely to the nation's football, he least expected this high honour in the nation's football and expressed his willingness to assist the head coach to chuck victory in all their impending encounters.

Nonetheless he described his appointment as unexpected "since there are many good coaches out there.

'There are so many excellent coaches out there who I respect a lot and for me to be chosen by the head coach as his assistant is a privilege indeed, I least expected it'.

Mr Appiah said the task ahead of them is very challenging because Ghana has never qualified for the World Cup and so much is expected from them.

"What makes it more complex is combining the world cup qualifier with the African Cup of Nations".

He said problems associated with the country's football are not new to him and he is prepared to defy all odds and work hard to help the Stars to qualify for the World Cup and the African Cup of Nations.

Coach Attuquayfio later introduced Kwesi to the team at their training session and the players expressed happiness and satisfaction with the choice and pledged their support for him.

Kwesi said before his appointment he had planned going to London for a higher grade course in coaching.

The new assistant coach was a former skipper of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and the Black Stars.

He is yet to receive his appointment letter.