Gyan saga: Resign if Akufo-Addo interferes – Nyaho to Coach Appiah

Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah must resign if president Akufo-Addo interferes with his decision to drop Asamoah Gyan as captain of the team, a former Ghana FA boss said.

Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe said he disagrees with the coach’s decision to take the armband from Gyan ahead of the 2019 Africa Nations Cup, but the presidency has no right to put pressure on him to rescind it.

In less than 24 hours after the striker quitted international football over a captaincy row, President Akufo-Addo summoned the management body of the Black Stars over the issue.

Touching on the development, the former GFA president said any attempt to force Appiah to reverse his strategy will undermine his authority and the best option will be to take a bow.

“It’s wrong and Appiah should be left to take his decision. If it happens that the boys go and they are not able to bring the cup it’s Appiah who will bear the responsibility. The decision about Appiah on Asamoah Gyan I’m totally against it,” Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe told Starr News’ Ibrahim Alhassan.

On the presidency’s summon, he said: “If it’s a question of trying to find out what led to that decision then it’s a personal matter, but if he’s going to ask him to change his decision it’s totally wrong. He took the decision as a coach although I disagree entirely. It is something he [the president] should not get himself involved at all. He should not try to let him change his decision.”

“He should resign if pressure is put on him to change his decision,” Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe counseled the former Ghana international.

Wrong decision

Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe also lashed out at the coach over how he stripped Gyan of the captaincy.

Gyan has called time on his international career after the coach informed him of his decision to hand over the armband to another player ahead of the Africa Nations Cup in Egypt.

“Upon consultation with my family and team, and as an active footballer and captain of the National team, if the decision of the coach is to give captaincy of the tournament to another player while I am named in the team for the tournament, I wish to recuse myself from the tournament,” Gyan said in a statement.

He added: “I also wish to retire from the national team permanently; not pretending my presence would not fuel the purported undermining the country has seen under my captaincy.”

Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe criticized the coach’s approach, justifying the striker’s decision because “he [the coach] has disgraced.”

“He’s been with the Black Stars for years and if you’re going to have a tournament of that standard you’re not going to treat your captain that way,” Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe told Starr News’ Ibrahim Alhassan Tuesday.

Asked whether Gyan took the right decision to quit the national team, he said: “It’s natural and that’s how humans behavior. You’ve disgraced him.”

He insisted the Kayserispor arrow head deserves to be at the 2019 continental showpiece due to his experience.

He added: “I don’t know who advised Appiah to do that. He is totally wrong. I feel Asamoah should be part of the team. I think Appiah has made a big mistake.”

Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe has predicted whoever replaces Gyan will have a tough time because the playing body will sabotage him.

“The boys have known Asamoah Gyan for years. Whoever is going to be named as a captain now might perform abysmally. There will be a sabotage.”