Stephen Appiah told the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports that one of the major drawbacks of the Black Stars is that the leadership group of the playing body is unable to inspire their colleagues.
Comparing it to his time as a skipper, the former Juventus midfielder cited that despite Michael Essien’s status as one of the world’s best midfielders at the time, he never shied away from scolding him whenever he thought it was necessary.
Appiah holds that such leadership, where players are held accountable for their actions on the field, has been lacking in the national team for the past five years, and that’s a major reason for the poor performances during this period.
“As a leader, you have to lead. Certain decisions may not be popular among the players, but you have to take them. I don’t see a captain leading the team now, and when you leave yourself like that, the players will assume that they can do whatever they want to do on the pitch.
“During our time, which had players like Michael Essien, we fought on the pitch at times. We fought, argued, and exchanged words, but it never affected our ultimate goal,” Appiah said.
Stephen Appiah, however, believes that the players must also take responsibility for their actions.
Stephen Appiah noted that commitment and patriotism are lacking in the current team, as most of the players do not appreciate the honor that comes with playing for their country.
“I must say that it is not only the captain. Players who come to the national team must be committed. I do not see commitment. To be selected from a population of over 33 million, you must see it as an honor. They must know that they are representing Ghana,” he said.
Parliament, through its committee on youth and sports, is probing the circumstances that resulted in Ghana’s disastrous showing at the 2023 AFCON.
In three matches played at the tournament, Ghana won none, drawing two and losing one as they exited the group phase. Ghana drew with Mozambique and Egypt and lost to Cape Verde.
