Appiah keeps his focus on the big challenge

Kwesi Appiah insists Ghana can still improve despite getting off to a good start in preparation for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 friendly win against Egypt.

Despite the win, the Black Stars coach is not getting carried away after Emmanuel Agyemang Badu's first half goal and a second half double from Richmond Boakye-Yiadom and captain Asamoah Gyan secured victory in Thursday's friendly in Abu Dhabi.


For Appiah, the overall workout by his team is far important than the scoreline the Black Stars produced at the Zayed Sports Complex against the Pharaohs.


"This is our first trial game and we are preparing a team that will represent Ghana in South Africa," the Ghana coach said after the match.


"I normally don't care about the scores, if they score 10-nil or we score 10, I don't care.


"What I am looking for is the performance. Tactically, how we defend, how we attack and how we implement our set-pieces, that's the most important thing."


Egypt, seven-time Nations Cup winners who failed to make this year's finals, according to Appiah are still a strong team.

"Egypt is got a very good team. They had a problem tactically at the back but their midfield and attack is not bad. They have an overall good team," he said.


The positives of the game pleases Appiah though he expects his team to improve ahead of the start of the finals in South Africa.


"I think this is our first trial game and it's important that you identify things that were not going well. I didn't see that much [in terms of the speed] because most of the time we were able to create chances through our wings.


"The most important thing is tactically how you defend and whenever we went on counter attacks, how we finished our attacks. I was looking at our set pieces and how we implement our free kicks and corner kicks. I will give them seventy percent which is good."


Ghana will play against Nations Cup finalist, Tunisia in their second warm-up game on Sunday.