Presidential Commission absolves Appiah of blame

The Presidential Commission of Iinquiry into Ghana’s World Cup campaign in Brazil  has absolved Coach James Kwasi Appiah of blame following the circumstances that resulted in Ghana’s poor showing at the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup.

After listening to Coach Appiah’s emotional testimony at yesterday’s sitting, the chairman of the commission, Justice Senyo Dzamefe attributed the Stars’ predicament to system failure and concluded that it would not be fair for the nation to blame the coach for the team’s failure in Brazil.

Justice Dzamefe’s view

Justice Dzamefe said if the evidence given by Coach Appiah was anything to go by, then he could not be blamed for the team’s early exit.

“Management worried you; a lot of the problems were not from you.

“From what I’m hearing personally I don’t blame you. If what I’m hearing is true then we’ve not been fair to Coach Kwasi Appiah,” he stressed.

“The system gave you problems; the system failed and that is why we’re here. This commission will make sure it will not happen again for all the national teams.

He therefore seized the opportunity to appeal  to the football authorities to resolve all outstanding issues before leaving Ghana for any tournament in future.

Kwasi Appiah’s evidence

During interrogation by Mr Jonathan Acquah, the former Stars coach contended that the failure to resolve the team’s appearance fees conflict derailed their efforts in Brazil.

He disclosed that as the head coach of the team, he took interest in the matter right from the onset in Montenegro in March through Holland to Miami till the crisis came to a head at the World Cup.

According to him morale soared in camp on the eve of Ghana’s opening match with the USA in Natal when the Vice President announced to the players at training that the government had agreed to pay the $100,000 they were demanding.

He said one failed promise after another got the players agitated and at a point said they did not want to see the then Minister, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, in camp after assuring them that the chartered flight carrying the money would have landed by the time they arrived in Brasilia for the Portugal game.

He recalled that at a point the minister had to use him to calm dowm the players when they threatened not to travel  to honour the Portugal match.

“You could see that the minister was eager to do something but nobody knew what was actually happening,” he noted.

“A day before departure to Brasilia, there was a meeting during which the players asked that the minister be informed to make the money available or else they would not train.

“The minister was then called on telephone and he promised to the hearing of all that the plane will be in Brasilia by the time the team arrives.”

Without mincing words, Coach Appiah emphasised that the crisis really affected the performance of the players and especially showed after the 2-2 draw against Germany.

He revealed that the players actually carried their money in their back packs to the dressing room before the Portugal match and that obviously took a toll on their psyche, though they were in high spirits before the match.

Altercation with Boateng

Coach Appiah told the commission that the suspension of Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari  was a precautionary measure to forestall any further indiscipline in camp.

He confirmed that Boateng indeed exchanged words with him at training and often used vulgar language on him and his technical team , most of which he ignored until he was provoked.

Recommendations

Having worked with his assistant Maxwell Konadu for sometime now he believed he was capable of taking over from him and also recommended, among other things, that the number of people who stay in the team’s hotel should be reduced.

He also suggested the adoption of one philosophy to run through all the national teams; the involvement of players in the selection of team hotels and the need to develop at least one standard football pitch in every region to develop talents.

Asked how he felt after his dismissal, he said “I’m a human being; automatically I feel hurt. But if it’s in the interest of Ghana I have nothing to say about it.”

A member of the commission advised him to use the transition period to get his UEFA licence which has been the concern of many, while he waited on the leading of God for the next move.

Stephen Appiah

For his part, former Stars skipper, Stephen Appiah, who was part of Kwasi Appiah's backroom staff recommended a properly organised youth league based on age and a basic coaching qualification for grassroot coaches before they are allowed to handle colts teams.

Appiah, who earned plaudits from the commission for his exemplary leadership and the mediatory role he played in Brazil, also stressed on the need for national academies to produce more players, in addition to the construction of standard pitches in the country.

He denied rumours that he wanted to take the penalty which Asamoah Gyan missed against Uruguay at South Africa 2010 but explained that he rather went for the ball in celebration when he saw the assistant referee ran towards the cenetre line after Luiz Suarez has scooped it from goal.

Sitting continues today with the chairmen of the various national teams.