Kwesi Appiah defends decision to play Alfred Duncan on left wing against South Africa

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah raised a lot of eyebrows for deploying Alfred Duncan on the left wing in the 2-0 win over South Africa on Thursday evening.

The Sassuolo ace didn’t look comfortable playing out of his preferred position in central midfield. Although he was tactically disciplined, he could not have the desired impact on the game.

Duncan who looked a peripheral figure throughout the match was substituted in the 61st minute.

A goal from either half by Thomas Partey and debutant Mohammed Kudus ensured the Black Stars began their quest for qualifying to 2021 AFCON on a positive note.

Speaking in his post match presser Kwesi Appiah defended his tactical strategy and said:

“We had a lot of injuries and for that reason, there were some players that I had to shift players around. Duncan does very well in his club; sometimes he plays from the right, sometimes midfield,” Appiah explained.

“I thought I need the experienced players in the middle. I believe with their experience and energy, they can always keep the ball. I had Dede, Duncan, Partey and Baba which made our midfield very strong.”