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Kwesi Appiah Re-Appointed As Ghana National Team Coach

Kwesi Appiah Re-Appointed As Ghana National Team Coach

The Ghana national team will see the return of a familiar face, with coach Kwesi Appiah re-appointed to the role he left after the 2014 World Cup.

The 56-year-old softly spoken Ghanaian assumes control of the Black Stars following the departure of former coach Avram Grant, who resigned following the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon in February.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) made the announcement this week, with a two-year contract that will officially begin on May 1.

Appiah returns to the role he occupied between 2012 and 2014, culminating in a disappointing World Cup in Brazil for Ghana’s Black Stars, where they failed to progress from the group stages of the competition.

Since he left the national team setup, he has been in charge of Sudanese club side Al Khartoum.

Ghana national team focused on qualifying

The immediate priorities for Appiah include 2019 AFCON and 2018 World Cup qualification campaigns, with the Black Stars aiming to make their mark on both competitions during the coach’s two-year contract period.

His first assignment in Nations Cup qualifying will come in June, with Ethiopia set to visit Ghana in the opening encounter of Group F.

Matches against fellow Group F teams Sierra Leone and Kenya will follow, with only the pool winners guaranteed a place in the continental tournament which will be hosted in Cameroon.

Aside from Nations Cup qualifying, there is the small matter of qualifying the West African nation for the World Cup finals in Russia, giving Appiah the opportunity to lead his country into World Cup battle for the second competition in a row.

But the Ghanaians are struggling thus far in World Cup qualifying, with only one point earned after two matches in Group E. They are five points behind Group E leaders Egypt, with Uganda and Congo-Brazzaville standing in the way of qualification to the showpiece event. Only the group winner will earn a ticket to Russia.

Appiah will also be in charge of the national team for locally-based players, which will be involved in tournaments such as the African Nations Championship (CHAN).