Posted by Erstwhile Black Stars manager Kwesi Appiah becomes the latest member of the 1992 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad to acknowledge there was disunity or division in the team.
Ghana made it to the final of the tournament, but was enable to lift the ultimate prize as they lost to Côte d’Ivoire 11-10 on penalties after a scoreless game.
It is believed by many that the team’s inability to win the ultimate price was due to Kwesi Appiah being stripped off the captaincy prior to the tournament and the clash of egos between two star men [Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah], the two situations created disunity in the team.
Although Skipper Abedi Pele has debunked such claims, Kwesi Appiah becomes the latest member of the squad to validate the claims. He joins the likes of Tony Yeboah, Prince Polley, Emmanuel Ampeah etc. who were all members of the team.
“At the 1992 AFCON, I saw that the division in the team will not help so I spoke to the captain Abedi Ayew Pele, so I could get all the players in my room for us to pray” he revealed on Happy Sports on Happy 98.9FM.
Appiah also added that the division in the team was mainly caused by the clash of egos between two star men [Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah].
“It is true there was a division in the team. Abedi Pele’s camp and that of Anthony Yeboah’s.”
For Ghana, captaincy has become a major source of confusion between players and the cause of division within squad. Kwesi Appiah has experienced the situation as a player and as a manager of the team.
As Black Stars manager, he stripped Asamoah Gyan off the captaincy and named Dede Ayew as new captain just days away from the AFCON in Egypt last year.
The decision caused a stir in the country and within the playing body as Ghana recorded it worst performance at the AFCON since 2006.
Kwesi Appiah has suggested that to make this situation which has been the source of misunderstanding within players a thing of the past, the captain’s band should be changed from time to time.
“Sometimes this captaincy issue comes as a result of poor communication from management members or certain people trying to push their own agenda.”
“Looking at our current situation I will propose we rotate the captain’s armband and also a general captain appointed to speak on behalf of the players. Brazil and other countries have made it work so we can also emulate them”, he told Happy FM.
“We should be careful or else this captaincy row can affect the national team for years to come”, he concluded.
Kwesi Appiah is currently without a job as he was axed as Black Stars manager in December.