LET’S CRITICISE KWASI APPIAH CONSTRUCTIVELY

Black Stars Coach, Dr. Kwasi Appiah

Many soccer fans, pundits and connoisseurs of the football fraternity heavily poured their hearts out on the head coach of the Black Stars Dr. James Kwasi Appiah and the technical team after they lost their opening FIFA world cup 2014 game to the United States as most believed the coach’s poor selection contributed to the defeat.

Some criticisms from a section of Ghanaian journalists and various soccer analysts after the match were basically out of contest as some said they could even manage the team better than the coach.

Criticisms are good, but doing it constructively and in a healthy manner enables him to evaluate his shortfalls, learn from his previous mistakes to enable him come out with something unique afterwards. Baseless criticisms such as the post match comments bring the morale of the team down; have psychological disadvantage on the boys and subsequently give the opponents a competitive edge.

However, our second group G encounter against the DFB- Team of Germany clearly sent strong signals to his critics which has vindicated his capacity as being a good coach; hence, the need to criticize him constructively which will help to bring the best from him.

He might have made some tactical mistakes in our first game, but he was quick to rectify the situation before the German match which has earned the country respect. Losing to the United States of America should not be a worry to Ghanaians because some football power houses such as the defending champions Spain are already out of the competition with a game to spur.

At this crucial point, what the head coach needs most is our total support and encouragement considering that he put on a different attire during the second match as compared to that of US where he worn suit. This situation suggests clearly that there was pressure on him to win the game. Another record would have been made if the Stars had beaten the Germans as Algeria remains the only African side to beat them 2-1 at the world cup.

Already, the west and even our local media are somehow silent on the records chalked by our danger man Asamoah Gyan at the world cup. He is the only African player now to score in three successions at the world’s most prestigious tournament and has also equaled the record set by legendary Cameroonian star, Roger Milla for scoring 5 world cup goals.

Majority of soccer fans I spoke with after the match admitted that the Black Stars played exceptionally well and were unlucky not to have had a win. They were also optimistic the team would qualify for the second round and progress to make the nation proud once again.