Former Black Stars Captain Reveals Major Decision He Took Which Shook the Foundations of Ghana

• Stephen Appiah has shed light on the toughest decision he had to make as Black Stars captain when he took over the armband in 2002
• He became the first Black Stars captain to qualify Ghana for its maiden appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 2006
• His tenure as Black Stars captain is regarded as the most peaceful following series of captaincy issues which plagued the national team in the past and after his retirement

Legendary Ghana captain Stephen Appiah has opened up on the first major decision he took when he was appointed the skipper of the Black Stars.

The ex-Juventus midfielder was appointed as the captain of the senior men's national team following the retirement of predecessor Charles Kwabla Akonnor in 2002.

Appiah, whose tenure as captain of the Black Stars is deemed one of the best, initially declined the opportunity to lead his nation due to the respect he had for former Bayern Munich defender Samuel Osei Kuffour, who was by then a senior to Appiah.

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But after several consultations, Appiah assumed the role and led Ghana to its first World Cup in 2006.

Taking a trip down memory lane, the 41-year-old revealed how he had to take a bold decision with regard to the bonus structure of the Black Stars, which has been the catalyst for a series of player unrest in the national team.

‘‘Together with the players, we decided to scrap the existing bonus structure,” he told Asaase Radio as quoted by Talk Sports Ghana.

“It didn’t make sense to me that bonuses had to be paid based on seniority and status. The Black Stars had a history of disunity and everyone knew this. So I felt we needed to shift the paradigm.” Appiah ended.

Stephen Appiah opens up on how Juventus nearly stopped him from participating in the Olympic Games

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that ex-Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah has revealed how he nearly missed out on the 2004 Olympic Games due to club ties.

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Appiah was an integral member of the Juventus team back in 2004 but with the opportunity to represent his nation at the Olympic Games the then 22-year-old was at crossroads.

He eventually ended up choosing his country ahead of his club, which would prove detrimental to his stint with the Bianconerri.