Prominent sports journalist Dan Kwaku Yeboah has disclosed that Kurt Okraku, the president of the Ghana Football Association, dismissed Kwasi Appiah in 2019 due to his selection of ‘unknown’ players.
Yeboah pointed out that among those labelled as ‘unknown’ was Mohammed Kudus, who is now a member of the Black Stars.
Additionally, the former spokesperson for the Normalization Committee revealed that the government initially opposed Appiah’s dismissal; however, Okraku remained firm in his decision to terminate the coach’s contract.
“When Kurt Okraku took over from the Normalization Committee, Kwasi Appiah had won two games on the trot, including beating South Africa in Cape Coast.
“That was the match where Kudus and others made their debut.
According to Kwasi Appiah, Kurt Okraku had called him and warned him that he would be sacked if he lost because he was using unknown players.
Kwasi Appiah won the game but still got sacked. At some point, the president wanted Kwasi Appiah to stay, but Kurt insisted on sacking him,” he said.
Kwasi Appiah’s contract expired in January 2020, and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) chose not to renew it.
Dan Kwaku Yeboah’s comments aimed to underscore what he views as poor management by Kurt Okraku, who took over the presidency of the GFA from the Normalization Committee.
Since Okraku’s leadership began, the Black Stars have faced a troubling decline, failing to secure a victory in two consecutive Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments and experiencing early exits in both competitions.
Currently, the Black Stars are in jeopardy of missing qualification for the next AFCON, a situation they have not encountered since 2004. In the ongoing qualifiers, the team has yet to win any of their four matches, recording two losses and two draws.