Kwesi Appiah has been in charge of the Black Stars in two separate stints, and he’s had 47 games in all. But still reckons he needs more time to have his stamp on the team.

The 59-year-old is no stranger to scrutiny the job brings, and to being second-guessed in every possible way. Lately, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the year, there is rife talk that his time at the helm is up.

But after a decent performance against South Africa to begin a campaign to qualify the Black Stars to the 2021 AFCON, Appiah is feeling confident enough to ask for another chance. 

“I personally think I always do the best that I can. I may not be the best but I think when given the chance, I will always make sure I prove myself,” Appiah told the media in Cape Coast on Thursday, following the 2-0 win against Bafana.

Pressure has been building from several quarters to see a new manager for the national team, and Appiah has had to justify himself repeatedly this week. For example, Sassuolo’s Alfred Duncan thrives in central midfield – scoring once and making five assists this season – but was deployed on the left side of midfield, where he looked very uncomfortable.

Unsurprisingly, Appiah was asked about it, and he defended the decision.

“I thought I need the experienced players in the middle. I believe with their experience and energy, they can always keep the ball. I had Dede, Duncan, Partey and Baba which made our midfield very strong.”

Appiah now has a W23 D11 L13 record in his two spells as Ghana boss, roughly a 47% win ratio. As he leads the team to their final game of the year on Monday against São Tomé and Príncipe in a second AFCON qualifier, would a victory be enough to keep him in the job?

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