How Appiah turned Black Stars Nations Cup fiasco into World Cup glory
If the Black Stars' performance during the year could be equated to a typical year-ending financial statement, theirs would no doubt have a semblance of a positive balance sheet that any businessman would be proud of. Their journey may have begun on a rather jerky note but when it mattered most, Coach Kwasi Appiah revved his engine and slammed the accelerator to finish the race with admirable control.
About a year ago, Ghanaians wondered whether Appiah could pass his first major assignment as national coach with approach of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. For skeptics, the Nations Cup was the acid test that would provide an inkling as to his ability to lead Ghana to a third successive FIFA World Cup.
As it turned out, the tournament in South Africa was yet another disappointment which did Appiah's modest credentials little good. The team again crashed out of the tournament at the semi-final stage under similar circumstances as they did the previous year in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea when Appiah was deputy to coach Goran 'Plavi' Stevanovic.
However, when it mattered most, the soft-spoken coach masterminded perhaps the best qualifying record for Ghana in a manner that silenced even his fiercest critics after taking the dreaded Pharaohs of Egypt to the cleaners in a two-led play off. By Ghana's own high standards and the high expectation of the team by Ghanaians, the Nations Cup was a fiasco. For some, the absence of giants such as Cameroun, Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire provided an easier path for Ghana to break a 31-year drought. But the Stars flattered, only to deceive at the Mbobela Stadium in Nelspruit where the team lost to Burkina Faso at the penultimate round.
Ghana won its group having held DR Congo 2-2, beat Mali 1-0, beat Niger 3-0 in the first round, beat Cape Verde 2-0 in a difficult quarter-final clash in Port Elizabeth before running into an unyielding Burkina Faso side which held the Stars to a 1-1 draw after extra time and went ahead to win the tie 3-2 on penalties and just as occurred the previous year, Mali defeated ghana in the third-place playoff having earlier lost to the Stars in the group phase.
Unlike the Serbian who was hounded out of the job in the aftermath of the Nations Cup fiasco, the Ghanaian media was more cautious to pull he trigger on their compatriot. Appiah may have accepted his own shortcomings and agreed to upgrade his knowledge through sharing ideas with his contemporaries in some European clubs, notably Manchester City.
Appiah's search for the right formula for the more challenging World Cup qualifiers saw the coach shopping around for players, some of whom failed to make the mark and were subsequently dumped after a match or two. Players such as Rashid Sumaila, Mohammed Awal, Edwin Gyimah, Germany-based Baba Rahman, Rahman Chibsah, Dominic Adiyiah, Richmond Boakye-Yiadom, goalkeeper Razak Brimah, among others were called upon to justify their inclusion in the team.
The notable exception was young striker Abdul Majeed Waris, who despite winning the top scorer's prize in Sweden could not find a place in Appiah's Nations cup team. The youngster, however, waited for his moment and almost became a toast of Ghanaians for his hard work and eye for goals, as he played a supporting role to skipper Asamoah Gyan. Four goals in nine appearances appeared to have sealed Waris' World Cup place.
The Black Stars, having suffered an ignition failure in the campaign after a 0-1 loss away to Zambia in Ndola, took their destiny into their own hands and won the remaining matches the hard way.
Surviving one of the toughest groups by winning five out of six matches did not come easy for Appiah, particularly as he faced challenging times when the Ayew brothers -- Andre and Jordan -- went on a self-imposed exile due to strained relationship between the Olympique Marseille duo and the authorities. The coach proved that despite being soft-spoken, he would take no prisoners as he was also forced to crack the whip hard by suspending Sulley Muntari for acts of indiscipline. Introspection, cool heads and strong backlash by Ghanaians compelled the ons players to apologise and return to the national team when Brazil was almost in sight.
In 2012, Zambia blocked Ghana's path to a continental trophy so the Stars took the Chipolopolo threat seriously in the final World Cup group qualifier in Kumasi, with Appiah rolling the carpet for the return of prodigal sons Andre and Jordan Ayew, Michael Essien who had not featured for the national team for over two years! Muntari, and Kevin-Prince Boateng, who days earlier had rescinded a decision to retire from the national team.
In fact, no one player divides the nation as Schalke's Boateng does, and his return to the team split the nation except, perhaps, his teammates. And his inability to play against Zambia and also in the first leg playoff against Egypt deepened the suspicion held about the midfielder's loyalty and real intentions as Ghana inched closer to another World Cup berth.
Ghana's 2-1win over Zambia in Kumasi earned the team another difficult task after being pitted against Egypt who had the best record during the group qualifiers.
Egypt were desperate for a third FIFA World Cup appearance and only the second since 1990 and the Pharaohs looked a clear and present danger.
Perhaps, panic may have compelled the Stars handlers to recall veteran goalkeeper Richard Kingson for the first leg clash in Egypt as Appiah assembled his best ever arsenal against the North Africans. And in a determined move to ensure victory over Egypt, the GFA and the team's headline sponsor, GNPC, announced an increase in winning bonus for the team which may have got the players' adrenaline levels rising.
While Ghana looked forward to a home win, the manner in which the Stars humiliated the seven-time African champions 6-1 was just what dreams are made of. It almost guaranteed Ghana a place at Brazil 2014 ahead of the return leg clash in crisis-torn Cairo.
Despite a request to FIFA by Ghana for a venue change for the return leg match over security concerns in the Egyptian capital, football's world governing body stuck to its guns and insisted on tight security measures to ensure the safety of the Ghanaian team, fans and the game.
Ironically, Boateng turned hero of the Ghanaian side after coming on as a late substitute to score the Stars' only goal in their 2-1 defeat to gatecrash another World Cup campaign for Ghana.
Appiah guided the team to qualify in style after scored 25 goals and conceded six goals in eight matches.
However, the euphoria over a third successive appearance by Ghana at football's biggest global gathering immediately gave way to deep thoughts about Ghana's fate in Brazil after Appiah's team was handed a very tough group comprising one of the tournament favourites, Germany, Cristiano-Ronaldo-led Portugal and the United States.
The home-based Black Stars ensured that the feel-good factor lingered on as the team won the GOtv WAFU Nations Cup in Kumasi in what was seen as a good dress rehearsal for coach Maxwel Konadu's lads ahead of next month's African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa.
