It had weighed heavily on the minds of football enthusiasts who wondered if the fractured relationship between head coach James Akwesi Appiah and now general captain Asamoah Gyan won’t destabilize the team in their 2019 AFCON campaign.
It was a valid concern giving Ghana last won the trophy on 4 occasions 37-years ago.
In some good news however, on Asamoah Gyan’s twitter timeline, on May 28, photos of the Kayserispor striker and Mr. Appiah can be seen conferring with Gyan’s team spotted in another photos in a high spirit posing with the coach.
Sources close to the two personalities say both Coach Kwesi Appiah and Gyan have found common ground and harbour no ill will.
Curiously Dede Ayew who has been made the team captain with Gyan serving as General Captain both play in the Turkish league. Whereas Andre Ayew’s Fenerbahce lie 9th on the log, Gyan’s club Kayserispor lie 11th on the Turkish league.
The Black Stars will be camping in Dubai from June 1 for the 2019 AFCON before congregating at Egypt to join 23 other nations competing for the coveted trophy.
Despite Gyan’s love-hate relationship with Ghanaian football fans, he remains the country’s all-time leading goal scorer helping the stars lift their 5th AFCON trophy.
The Black Stars first won their AFCON title in 1963 then in 1965, 1978 and 1982. The stars have been runners-up five times in 1968, 1970, 1992, 2010 and 2015.
The stars also placed third once (2008); and are fourth-placed four times (1996, 2012, 2013 and 2017); and quarter-finalists three times (1994, 2000 and 2002).
By Michael Eli Dokosi/goldstreetbusiness.com