Kwasi Appiah reacts to Black Stars squad for 2023 AFCON

Former Ghana coach James Kwasi Appiah is in support of the Black Stars squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana coach Chris Hughton on Monday, January 1, 2023, released his 27-man squad for the continental showpiece, which included only three local players.

Medeama duo of Abdul Fatawu Hamidu, Jonathan Sowah and Kotoko’s Richmond Lamptey are the only Ghana Premier League players to have made the cut for the AFCON.

The squad included notable players like Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Inaki Williams, Daniel Amartey, Mohammed Kudus and others.

Meanwhile, deputy captain Thomas Partey will miss the AFCON tournament after failing to recover in time for the tournament.

Partey was named in the provisional 55-man squad but had to be dropped from the Black Stars squad's final 27-man list for the tournament due to an ongoing hamstring injury.

The former Atletico Madrid star, who now plays for Arsenal, has been grappling with a hamstring problem and hasn't featured in a match since October. The decision to exclude him from the squad reflects a cautious approach to ensure the player's overall well-being.

Speaking to Sienu TV monitored by Footballghana.com, Kwasi Appiah, who is currently the head coach of the Sudan national team expressed satisfaction with the Black Stars squad for the tournament.

“I think we’ve got a good squad. I’m in support of the players selected by the coach for the tournament but the only thing I am hoping for is the coach being bold to take decisions as to who should play or who should be on the bench and ones he is able to the do that, looking at the list I think they can compete at any level” he said.

Ghana are placed in Group B of the 2023 AFCON, alongside Cape Verde, Egypt, and Mozambique.

The tournament is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, January 13 through to February 11, 2024.

Ghana have a history of success in the AFCON, having won the title four times, most recently in 1982. However, they have experienced defeat in three finals since then, including losses to Ivory Coast in 1992 on penalties and Egypt in 2010, as well as a repeat defeat to Ivory Coast in 2015.