Why I Dropped Kwarasey — Appiah

Coach Kwasi Appiah excluded Norway-based goalkeeper, Adam Kwarasey, from the Black Stars squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Uganda and Togo because of comments he made in the aftermath of the team’s 2014 World Cup campaign.

In separate interviews after the World Cup, Kwarasey was critical of Coach Kwasi Appiah’s decision to drop him to the bench in favour of Fatawu Dauda after Ghana’s opening group game against USA, with the shot-stopper questioning the competence of the team’s goalkeepers’ trainer, Nasamu Yakubu.

Coach Appiah and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) deemed the goalie’s comments as not helpful to the cause of the team, adding that his immediate return to the team could cause a rift in the squad because he questioned why certain players were called.

“Regarding Adam Kwarasey, his comments after the World Cup have not been helpful. It was a comment that questioned the competence of the technical team and subsequently even questioned why certain players should be called into the national team,” said GFA spokesperson, Ibrahim Sannie Daara, as he gave details of the team’s preparation for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Uganda and Togo.

“If a statement is made about why a player is called or not, there is a potential that it can cause a rift even in the squad. So, some of these things must be ironed out behind the scenes before he comes back,” he explained.

Mr Daara also threw a lifeline to Kwarasey and AC Milan’s Michael Essien, who was also excluded from the squad after he refused to warm-up before Ghana’s final World Cup game against Portugal.

“It is the opinion of the technical team that if such things happen, the player’s side must be heard and issues cleared up before he comes back to the team.

“No Ghanaian player can be excluded from the team permanently. What we are seeking to do is that after we have played these rounds of qualifiers, the coach and the technical team will find an opportunity to engage such players and see what issues they have and if there’s any centre-ground, they will be considered in future.”

Source: Daily Graphic