Some elements within GFA didn’t like Kwasi Appiah – Jerome Otchere

The editor of the official newspaper of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Jerome Otchere has said that some persons within the GFA who were unimpressed with the performance of the Black Stars under Kwesi Appiah kicked against the renewal of his contract.

Kwesi Appiah was let go by the Black Stars following the expiration of his contract on December 31, 2019.

Prior to the confirmation by the FA that they had parted company with the coach, rumours were rife that some members of the Executive Council particularly the President Kurt Okraku was not happy with the performance of the team in the last two years and was bent on relieving Kwesi Appiah of his duties.

It has also been widely speculated that Kwesi Appiah was the target of the FA’s decision to dissolve the technical team of all the national teams.

But Jerome Otchere reckons it will be unfair to make such allegations against the FA.

Jerome who in an interview with ghanaweb.com registered his displeasure with the way the FA carried out its overhauling exercise of the national teams, says it will be a misrepresentation of facts to say that the exercise was aimed at axing Kwesi Appiah.

He also revealed that the decision to sack Kwesi Appiah was mooted by some persons in the FA.

“I like Kwesi Appiah but I have to say that if we keep pushing this argument of they kicking him out, we will not be fair to the facts. The facts are that Kwesi Appiah was on his way out and the contract run out. It was down to the FA to say we will re-engage him. From what happened, they were not keen on re-engaging Kwesi Appiah. If you say that he was the reason behind the dissolution it won’t be fair”.

“I think that it was so much about appointing a Ghanaian to do the job, Kwesi Appiah was doing the work. We can disagree on how he was doing it but the point is that not renewing his contract only goes to confirm that the administration did not like him. Some elements did not like the work he was doing”.

Jerome also backed CK Akonnor to succeed as Black Stars coach. He urged him to instil discipline in the team and also work hard to reduce the controversies around the.

Akonnor’s first match as Black Stars coach is against Sudan on March 23, 2020.