Former Black Stars coach, Kwasi Appiah
Former Black Stars coach, Kwasi Appiah, has revealed that Asante Kotoko fans gave him his popular nickname, Mayele.
According to the former Kotoko defender, the fans named him Mayele after taming Congolese deadly winger, Mayele, in a game against Balende in the 1980s.
In an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah, Kwasi Appiah said he had already disciplined Mayele, who was a menace for Ghana when Black Stars faced Zaire now DR Congo in 1981 during the 1982 AFCON qualifiers.
"We played against Zaire in Ghana and the game ended two-all. Mayele was a winger and his tighs were three times bigger than mine. And according to the media, he scores anytime he faces Ghana. He scored one of the goals in the game we played. Offei Ansah marked him in the first half, then Desmond Lamptey marked him in the second half. Both of them could play 2 and 3 so they just swapped. So in the second leg, I was fresh at the Black Stars and it was within that period Abele also came. So we were the youngest players on the team. So I played the away game and we won 2-1. He(Mayele) got substituted," he told Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV on YouTube.
He concluded that he got the nickname after defeating Mayele again in their second contest when Kotoko faced Balende.
"So afterward, Kotoko met his club, Balende, and I did the same thing. So the supporters gave me the name after conquering him again."
Ghana's 2-1 win over Zaire(DR Congo) in 1981 is the country's only away win against the Central Africans since 1965. The win secured Ghana a qualification to the 1982 AFCON with a 4-3 aggregate scoreline.
The Black Stars emerged as the winners of the tournament hosted by Libya, which was their fourth and last title over four decades.
EE/BOG
