Kwesi Appiah won't bow to pressure

...to recall Kingson - Oti Akenteng

Ghana FA Technical Director, Francis Oti Akenteng, says Kwesi Appiah won’t bow to public pressure to recall veteran goalkeeper Richard Kingson ahead of the 2014 World Cup play-offs first leg tie against Egypt.


Kingson, 35, has not played international football for over two years after struggling to find a club following his release by Blackpool.


However, the long-serving goalie has now returned to club football with Cyprus’ Doxa Katokopias, and it seems he is fighting to regain his place at the expense of Fatau Dauda.


Many including Stephen Appiah and Abubakar Damba have clamoured for the return of experienced players including Kingson and John Mensah ahead of the crucial World Cup play-offs against Egypt in October and November.


But the country’s FA Technical boss, Francis Oti Akenteng insists the Ghanaian trainer will not call-up the players based on sentiments.

“For Richard Kingston, the little research that I have made indicates that he has played in about three matches and Coach Akwasi Appiah himself has been to Cyprus to watch him play, but the question we need to ask goes beyond sentiments,” Akenteng told Radio XYZ


“The Coach (Akwasi Appiah) has the right to put his own team together, and I believe that if he is convinced by his own judgment about the two, so be it.


“I don’t think that the public sentiments and outcry will push anybody to give the two players a call up.


“The job will be done purely on fair analysis and not on sentiments or media speculation.”


Kingson, who has 90 international caps, was Ghana’s number one at the 2006 and 2010 World Cup finals, but was dislodged by Adam Kwarasey and lately Fatau Dauda.