Immediate-past Black Stars coach James Kwasi Appiah has shockingly revealed how ex-Ghana President JA Kuffour influenced his appointment as the deputy coach of the national team on his way to becoming the substantive manager.
In what comes as a huge revelation of how political power has crept into the football governance of the West African soccer giants, Appiah describes the former president’s influence as timely in getting him appointed as the deputy of Claude le Roy.
Appiah was first appointed as the deputy of the French manager in 2008 before growing to become the substantive manager on two occasions; 2013 and 2017.
On Page 90 of his book “Leaders Don’t Have To Yell,” the former Ghana manager described how his application letter for the vacant deputy coach of the Black Stars was swept under the carpet but for the intervention of his ‘friend’ JA Kuffour that got him the appointment.
“After Ghana’s appearance in the 2008 African Cup of Nations, I found out that there was a vacant position on the Black Stars because the coach at that time, Claude Le Roy, had sacked his assistant. I made a call to a few people I knew at the Ghana Football Association (GFA) office to inquire about the vacancy and to apply,” Appiah revealed.
“I presented my CV to the GFA representative. The person accepted my CV and that was the end of it. Like they say in Ghana, they sat on my CV. They just held on to it and did not invite me for an interview. Neither did they inform me that I was going to be considered for the job, even though I was duly qualified.
“At that time, Mr. John Agyekum Kuffuor was the president. I had a good relationship with him from my days with Kumasi Asante Kotoko where he had served for a while on their board of directors. I contacted the Office of the Ghana President to request an introduction to the GFA leaders. It was my hope that the President’s influence could get someone to take a look at my CV and let me know what was going on with my application.
“Thankfully, that influence from the President (JA Kuffuor) led to a phone interview, and then I was invited to come for in-person interview in Accra. I flew from London to Accra for the interview.
“I was offered the assistant coaching job with a salary of $3,000. The salary was extremely low compared to how much they were paying the foreign coaches. m
“I remember President Kuffuor reminding me not to focus so much on the money but to rather get there, excel at the job and see what happens next.
“It is possible that nothing would have happened to my application without the President (John Kuffuor’s) influence,” he narrated.
Following his appointment as the deputy to Le Roy in 2008, Appiah rose to become the first local manager to have guided the Black Stars to the World Cup in a flawless qualifying campaign in 2013.
