John Mensah Welcomes Permanent Ghana Captain Role

Sunderland defender John Mensah has welcomed the decision to make him the permanent Ghana captain insisting he will work hard to help the Black Stars rise. The England-based defender hailed his predecessor Stephen Appiah insisting the Ghana national team will enjoy good leadership under his reign. Mensah was this week confirmed as the substantive captain of the side in the wake of the international retirement of Stephen Appiah. The centre-back has accepted the challenge with the confidence that he will continue with the good works of his predecessor. �I am highly honoured to be considered as the next captain of the Black Stars. I promise to fly on the wings of our inspirational captain, Appiah to move step further,� Mensah said on his personal website johntherock5.com. �It is an opportunity to serve my country and I promise to do it to the best of my abilities. The players have been supportive all this time and I trust they will continue as we strive to build on the legacy of Appiah,� Mensah added. According to the new captain, he and his colleagues will continue in the spirit of brotherliness, discipline, commitment and dedication as they strive to place Ghana on a higher pedestal. He revealed to his official website that he is in constant touch with most of the players, and when Coach Goran Stevanovic announces his squad for the Ghana-Congo game on June 3 they will go all out to keep their Nations Cup dream on course. Mensah also used his official site johntherock5.com to praise Appiah for his exceptional leadership qualities. �Appiah was an embodiment of leadership, he played his part and played it brilliantly. We will definitely miss him,� Mensah said. �However, having worked with him for all these years, I have studied a lot and I believe combining it with my style will take the nation places.� Appiah retired from the national team after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. John Mensah has been acting in Appiah�s absence.