Former Ghana captain, Stephen Appiah has opened up on how a fierce competition and faith in local players once made the Black Stars one of the most competitive national teams in Africa.
Speaking in an interview, Appiah reflected on the days when local players were trusted to play key roles for Ghana and displacing already established names in the national setup.
He cited the likes of William Tierro, Habib Mohammed, and Shilla Illiasu as examples of players who proved that domestic-based footballers could rise to the occasion at the highest level.
“When we went to the World Cup in 2006, Osei Kuffour, who was a top defender, after the game against Italy, the second game against Czech Republic, it was Shilla Illiasu who was playing for Kotoko. He came in and he stamped his position. Brilliant player,” Appiah recalled.
‘No pressure, no passion’ – Stephen Appiah laments complacency in Black Stars
He also mentioned how competition for places made everyone perform at their best, as even those seen as regulars could not take their spots for granted.
“You have Habib Mohammed, who took Addoquaye Pappoe’s position. In our time, there was competition. There is no competition now, so some of the players feel so cool that whether they play well or not, they will play. But our time it wasn’t like that,” he said.
Appiah used the example of former Liberty Professionals midfielder William Tierro to illustrate the point further.
“When we played in our second qualifier in Kumasi, we beat South Africa 3-0. I scored two goals, but I wasn’t the man of the match; it was William Tierro, who was playing for Liberty Professionals,” he revealed.
The former Black Stars skipper said those moments reflected a time when selection was based on performance, not reputation. He lamented that the same level of competitiveness is missing in the current national team setup.
“We have our players now running to go to Tanzania, it’s a shame, they should rather come here. We have a striker who won the goal king in the Ghana Premier League, because he didn’t get the chance, now he plays for Togo,” he added.
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