Government backs Ghana FA's decision to extend Black Stars coach Appiah's contract

Published on: 06 August 2014
Government backs Ghana FA's decision to extend Black Stars coach Appiah's contract
Kwesi Appiah is getting the backing from government

Ghana's Sports Minister, Mahama Ayariga, says it has nothing against the contract extension of Black Stars coach Kwasi Appiah but insists the technical team must be boosted before the start of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

He, however, expressed the preparedness of government to continue to offer support to the Ghana Football Association to beef up of the technical bench of the team.

According to reports, Kwasi Appiah is expected to earn $873,000 for the next two years.

Aspects of the deal shows that Appiah will be placed on a new monthly salary of $36,500, a-month, a significant increase of over the $20,000 he was receiving since 2012 when he signed a two-year contract to handle the national team.

“Whether or not the coach should be removed or not removed is entirely a matter for the GFA. So if they have on their own gone to extend the contract of the coach that is entirely a matter for the GFA but what government will continue to do is to support the GFA to pay and develop the coaching of the Black Stars and also support the beefing up of the technical bench of the team," Mr. Ayariga told Joy Sports.

Despite Appiah's failure to guide the team beyond the group stage of the recent World Cup tournament in Brazil, the GFA has decided to keep faith with the trainer by offering him an improved two-year deal.

However, media reports have claimed the country’s Sports Ministry has asked the soccer authorities to freeze contract extension proposal pending further consultations.

But Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga has debunked those reports and stated that, Government has no intentions of ordering the GFA on whether to extend Coach Kwasi Appiah’s contract or not.

“I will be very, very surprised if anybody in Government says that we are not as a government happy with the coach (Kwasi Appiah) and indeed, it is not for government to be happy or unhappy about the coach," Ayariga said.

"But we clearly are not happy that our team could not make it to subsequent stages of the World Cup and we are also not happy about some of the things that we heard happened in the camp.

"Whether it was the result of the weakness of the coach, technical team...we are not happy.

“What form that takes whether it entails the removal of the coach and the appointment of a new coach or relegation of the coach to a lower status whatever form it will take that is a matter entirely within the domain of the GFA what we as Government insists on is that the Black Stars must have the best coaching and the best technical team.”

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