FIFA World Cup dream not over - Kwesi Appiah

Black Stars coach, Kwesi Appiah, has encouraged Ghanaians not to throw their hands in despair over the team’s ability to qualify for next year’s Mundial in Russia.
While admitting he does not possess the magic wand to turn things around, he was convinced that with the right attitude, the team could still book a ticket to the world’s biggest football gathering.

Reacting to a call yesterday by the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Pius Enam Hadzide, to brave the odds and qualify the team to Russia, the Stars coach said despite trailing current leaders, Egypt, by five points, there was nothing in his lexicon like ‘it’s over’ when it comes to football.

“The most important thing is to make sure you win your games and leave the rest to God; that’s my belief because anything can happen along the line,” the 57-year-old Ghanaian trainer told Graphic Sports in an interview yesterday, at the launch of the Kwasi Appiah Foundation at the Accra City Hotel .

Ghana has four games to play after drawing with Uganda at the Baba Yara Stadium in the opening qualifier and losing 0-2 to Egypt. But that notwithstanding, the former Ghana left-back insisted that by winning the remaining matches, qualification was possible.

“We’ve got four matches to play so why give up now? We should just make sure we win all our games ahead of us and once we win that we will see what happens,” the former Al Khartoum of Sudan coach said in his soft-spoken tone.

The deputy minister expressed his delight that a Ghanaian was given the chance once again to take charge of the national team and added that he believed in the capacity of the Black Stars coach to book a slot in the upcoming world Cup.

“It’s unfortunate you as the coach inherited this situation but I believe in your ability and capacity to qualify Ghana to the World Cup even though it looks difficult.” the deputy minister noted.