We're ready - Stephen Appiah

BLACK Stars captain Stephen Appiah says the Black Stars should be ready to face any country if they are to win the MTN African Cup of Nations title. The Fenerbahce midfielder, who has just returned from a major knee injury, told the media after the Ghana 2008 draw last week that “We are ready to face any team on the continent but that doesn't mean we should underrate any team”. It will be recalled that after Ghana were placed in Group A comprising of Guinea, Namibia and Morocco, many Ghanaian football enthusiasts are already predicting that the Black Stars are on course to lift the cup for the fifth time. But Appiah has sounded a note of caution “There are no easy teams in Africa today that's why the African Cup of Nations has become an important part of world football's calendar. For the Black Stars we know that countries that were previously considered as minnows have improved tremendously.”

The draw last Friday has come out with some juicy pairings in the various groups, not least Group B which consists of Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali and Benin which undoubtedly is the most difficult group. Many connoisseurs of the game believe there are enough heavyweights coming to the tournament and so Ghanaians should tread cautiously and Appiah agrees perfectly. According to the Black Stars captain “There is Ivory Coast, Cameroon Morocco and the rest so we have to be ready to face the best. I am confident that we can win the title but to win the title we must be ready to conquer any country and win the title convincingly. The fact that Namibia qualified for the tournament ahead of the DR Congo shows that there are no easy teams in Africa. So we are ready to face any country. There are no easy games in international football and all the countries in our group have fought hard to get here, so we will treat them all with the respect they deserve''. Appiah continued ''The team is motivated and ready so we are looking forward to this challenge. Our aim is to win the tournament and we know there will be tough games ahead but we have confidence in our own abilities and if we stay injury free between now and the start of the tournament we should go all the way''. ''Ghanaian fans are relying on us to win this tournament and we will do our best to fulfill their desires'' Stephen concluded.

Commenting on his club form and his return to fitness for the Turkish giants, Fenerbahce, Stephen expressed his pleasure when he played in the last minutes of their last league game and thinks to come on even earlier this time is a good sign that he is nearing his best. Appiah said “I am very glad to make my comeback to the team again. I had suffered from a serious injury for five months and now I am very happy to announce my comeback. I thank our fans for their support. Now I am not able to play for full 90 minutes but I will be ready soon.” He continued. ''I am improving with every game I play and I am pushing for a starting place now. I don't want to rush my return because we have more difficult games ahead so it's important that I am introduced slowly. I enjoyed the reception from the fans and I am just happy to contribute to the success of the team''.

Meanwhile Appiah has filmed his first Public Service Announcement as part of his new role as a UNICEF spokesperson. As captain of the Black Stars, Stephen will be one of the most high profile people at CAN 2008 and UNICEF have decided to tap into the influence he will have to highlight the need for kids to be educated. Stephen's charitable work through his foundation was the basis on which UNICEF decided to work with him to highlight the plight of children round the world particularly in Africa.