Former Black Stars captain and Asante Kotoko head coach Charles Kwablan (CK) Akonnor has made a passionate appeal to the local media to be mild on and charitable in their criticism of the current Black Stars coach coach James Kwasi Appiah, and create a favourable atmosphere for him to be able to guide team to end the 37-year miss out on the Africa Cup of Nations trophy.
The Black Stars struggled to draw 2-2 with Benin in their opening match of the ongoing 2019 AFCON in Egypt and the local press and the football loving Ghanaians have sternly questioned the competence of Kwasi Appiah, doubting his ability to guide Ghana to win gold at the ongoing tournament, and Akonnor has passionately appealed to the press to tone down and give Appiah the room to operate.
“It all depends on our coach, the other thing is that I think we should give him a bit of freedom to do the work you know, what you say matters a lot and if you are working under conditions where everyday you are sternly criticized I think it’s not the best, so we should try as much as we can and allow (him), he knows what he’s doing, he’s handled this team, he’s been in this tournament (AFCON) for couple of times, he knows the terrine and he will deliver”, Akonnor pleaded.
Appiah came under huge ‘crucifixion’ in the hands of the local media after failing to beat Benin in Ghana’s tournament opener last Tuesday, with his dressing on the day at the dugout brought under severe scrutiny, but his former national team mate Akonnor, has in solidarity, firmly described the situation as hugely “unfair”.
“I don’t think it’s fair to the level where we have to talk about his dressing I don’t think it’s fair, this man has been there he qualified us to the world, he qualified us to AFCON, he is still doing the job, just some little thing then it becomes………I think we are a little bit too harsh in Ghana in terms of the game, I understand that everybody is passionate, they want to see a good result but in some other countries it’s different, and if you (the media) can tone down a little it would help a lot”, Akonnor urged the media.
The Black Stars will come up against the Indomitable Lions, five times African Champions today at 17:00 in their second match in group F and Akonnor confidently believes the Lions are not better than the Stars and a win is highly possible for the 1982 fourth time African champions, Ghana.
