Former Ghana coach returns in bid to manage the Black Stars

Former Black Stars coach and player, Ghanaian James Kwesi Appiah is vying for his previous job after the departure of Israeli Coach Avram Grant.

Kwesi Appiah is reported to be in the country for an interview on Friday in a bid to manage the team that he led to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil making him the first black African coach to do so.

He is currently the coach of Sudanese club Al Khartoum SC since December 2014 after leaving the Black Stars job in September that year.

Appiah is considered the favourite for the job with a lot of backing from the Ghanaian media, coaches and the public who felt disappointed at the inability of Avram Grant to end Ghana’s more than 30-year wait for a fifth title at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2016.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) had earlier disputed reports that it had settled on Kwesi Appiah as the next coach saying the application window is still open.

“It is absolutely false that the GFA has settled on James Kwasi Appiah as the next Black Stars coach because the FA and the Committee responsible for this particular exercise have not yet shut down the application window,” GFA Communications Director Ibrahim Sanie Dara said.

If appointed, he will be expected to lead the team to qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

The Kwesi Appiah of yesterday is not the Kwesi Appiah of today; He now has more experience- Yusif Chibsah#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/vEtdnFmi1N

— #JoyNews (@JOYNEWSONTV) March 30, 2017

Black Stars bench could be;

Kwesi Appiah- Head coach

Ibrahim Tanko- Dep coach

Richard Kingston- GK Trainer

Stephen Appiah- TM

— Sports Obama (@SaddickAdams) March 31, 2017

I am for Coach Kwesi Appiah…the unifying face to bring the masses support back to the Black Stars

— Opeele Boateng (@CoachOpeele) March 29, 2017

InterAlliesFC coach Prince Owusu backs Kwesi Appiah to do a great job with the Black Stars. #joysports pic.twitter.com/Sd7e7mD922

— #JoySports 99.7FM (JoySportsGH) March 30, 2017