Former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah
Former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah has opened up about how he nearly missed out on Ghana's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Appiah faced stiff competition for a spot in the squad due to the emergence of young talented players from Ghana’s 2009 U-20 World Cup team.
"In 2010, I was lucky to be part of the team. If Agyemang-Badu had been fit, maybe I wouldn’t have been part of the 2010 World Cup, which would have been difficult," Appiah revealed.
The ex-Ghana captain was made to understand that his role would be more effective as a substitute rather than as a starter.
"You can have senior players in the team, and if you let them understand that this time there are certain good players in the team, but be around, you may get either 20 or 10 minutes, depending on how you train," he explained.
He further explained that one of the main reasons for his inclusion was to serve as a guide to the young players.
"When some of the players see senior players in camp, they won’t even think of misbehaving. So, we have to know how to handle senior players in the national team."
Stephen Appiah's statements come after Andre Ayew was excluded from the Black Stars squad in their upcoming matches against Mali and the Central African Republic in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was Ghana's best as the country reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
JNA/EK
