Kwesi Appiah retained as Black Stars coach

Ghana Football Association Executive Committee has agreed to allow head coach Kwesi Appiah stay on despite failing to progress from the Group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

President Kwesi Nyantakyi announced this at a press conference on Wednesday in Accra, to explain what accounted for the team’s washed-out campaign.

This means the ex-Ghana international will be handed a fresh two-year contract to lead the Black Stars for the qualifiers to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations which begins in September.

“The Executive Committee has full confidence in Kwesi Appiah and in his ability to do the job. They have instructed that the necessary action about his new contract should be completed,” Nyantakyi said.

“We also request the coach to review the current Black Stars and retain players only based on competence, commitment and discipline.

“The coach should be encouraged to add young players to the team.”

Appiah became the first indigenous Ghanaian coach to qualify the Black Stars to a World Cup finals, after Serbs Ratomir Djukovic and Milovan Rajevac guided the team to the 2006 and 2010 finals in Germany and South Africa respectively.

Ghana recorded two defeats and one draw to finish at the foot of the table and crash out at the first hurdle.