Former Black Stars coach Kwasi Appiah has revealed the rationale behind his decision to strip Asamoah Gyan of the captaincy.
Gyan, who previously led the senior national team, saw his captaincy transferred to his deputy, Andre Ayew, ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
In an interview with Sienu TV, Appiah, now the head coach of Sudan, explained that Gyan’s diminished physical strength and the likelihood of him not starting games at the tournament influenced the decision.
According to the Asante Kotoko technical director, modern football places importance on performance rather than reputation.
“I knew that his performance could not go to the level I wanted because modern football is not about name and his strength was not that high compared to years back,” stated Coach Kwesi Appiah. “In actual fact, that was the main reason. Looking at the games he had played, and personally, I don’t believe I will be the captain and I will be on the bench. The captain should be on the pitch to control things.”
Appiah further disclosed that, despite concerns about Gyan’s fitness due to his limited game time leading up to the AFCON, he believed the veteran still had something valuable to contribute.
“The reason why I took Gyan to the competition was because Gyan had helped the nation for some time, and I said if you are not injured, no matter what, I will take you to the tournament, and I want you to finish on that note,” he explained.
