Former Ghana captain Stephen Appiah reflects on his journey to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, expressing gratitude for being part of the squad despite facing injury challenges.
"In 2010, I was lucky to be part of the team. If Agyemang-Badu was okay, maybe I wouldn’t have been part of the 2010 World Cup, which would have been difficult," Appiah shared with 3Sports.
Appiah's remarks extend to the recent Black Stars call-up, notably the exclusion of captain Andre Ayew. While not entirely satisfied with Ayew's absence, Appiah believes Ayew could have still contributed positively to the squad, even if not playing a prominent role in the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
"You can have senior players in the team and if you let them understand that this time there are certain good players in the team but be around, you may get either 20 or 10 minutes which depends on how you train," he elaborated.
Highlighting the importance of senior players in maintaining discipline and focus within the team, Appiah emphasized, "When some of the players see senior players in camp, they won’t even think of misbehaving. So, we have to know how to handle senior players in the national team."
With crucial matches against Mali and the Central African Republic on the horizon, Ghana's performance in the qualifiers is vital for their aspirations of reaching the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
