Former Black Stars management committee member Ernest Thompson has made a surprising revelation about a tense moment in the history of the Ghana national team.
According to Thompson, former Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah once considered excluding Dede Ayew, Jordan Ayew, and Mubarak Wakaso from the national squad.
Thompson disclosed that his intervention, along with the efforts of the management committee, was crucial in preventing the decision, which could have sparked significant controversy and disrupted team harmony.
In an interview with Joy Sports, Thompson recounted that Kwesi Appiah, frustrated by unresolved issues involving the players, proposed dropping them from the Black Stars. However, the management committee stepped in to mediate the situation and ensure a resolution.
At a point in time, Kwasi Appiah had problems with Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, and Wakaso. You remember that incident. Go back to history. He [Kwasi Appiah] wanted to drop them. He said he had dropped them. I’m telling you the truth now.
We [the Black Stars management committee team] said, Look, because of Jordan, Andre, and particularly their father Abedi [Pele], who is an icon, if you had problems with them in the team, we plead with you to go and see Abedi [Pele] and speak to Abedi because you can’t treat Abedi’s children that way. Let the father know, and see if the father can intervene.
It took Alhaji Hearts, who we called, to also go and speak to the boys about Kwasi Appiah’s concerns. Later on, Kwasi Appiah agreed, brought them back, and they came to save the team. So a lot of things happen at the management committee level [of the Black Stars]. You can check all these from George Afriyie.
The management team does good work, provided they stay within their purview.
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