Ghanaian football legend James Kwesi Appiah is not in the mood to end his fight for better living conditions for footballers. The coach of the National team of Sudan has once again opened up on why players should directly take responsibility for their future by investing during their playing careers to avoid becoming beggars and problems in the society.
Kwesi who has captained the Ghanaian national team ,the Black Stars has been a crusader for years to have better lives for footballers after retiring from the game and never ceased to preach this as a player, coach and administrator, once again strongly drummed home his point when he had the opportunity.
At the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Campus on an outreach programme with Asante Kotoko and Kaiser Chiefs players and officials, the affable Kwesi Appiah was of the view that players will not be a burden on their families and society if they invest during their playing career.
He especially told students of the KNUST Basic Schools that in choosing their careers and especially for those who wish to become footballers, they better invest so they can reap in future. He tearfully spoke about how some of his colleagues and ex footballers are finding it difficult to survive in life and proposed investment as the solution.
“Make sure in anything that you do try to invest as you’ve taken sports as your career. One thing I have realized is that most of our sportsmen did not invest and for that reason after their careers in football or whatever field they took it became a problem for them.
Once you take into football, there’s nothing you can do or learn again because you become a professional player and you play up to let’s say 35 years and if you’ve not invested, it’s trouble because that’s what you’re going to rely on for the rest of your lives”, the Kotoko IMC member told the gathering, drawing an applause.
He has been on the crusade especially after retiring and also when he became the President of the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG), the welfare body of footballers in Ghana .
“Invest in anything that can give you other sources of money so you have something to rely on from 60 years”,advised the experienced coach, who alongside another Ghanaian ex player Sarfo Gyamfi and South African legend Siyabonga Nomvethe interacted with School children, teachers and the media in Kumasi.
The outreach forms part of activities to promote the Toyota Cup between Kaiser Chiefs and Asante Kotoko on July 26 2025 in Durban. Kotoko leaves Ghana on July 22nd with a reported 45 Man Contingent to honour the cup match,and expects to return to Ghana on July 29,2025.
