Players pretend they don’t care but they do – Stephen Appiah on Black Stars call-ups

Former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah has disclosed that, despite players often pretending not to be concerned about national team call-ups, they are always eager to be included.

This revelation follows Ghana coach Otto Addo’s recent squad announcement for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR).

The 26-man squad notably excludes key figures, including captain Andre Ayew, who has been in good form by his own standards.

Appiah highlighted that missing out on significant national team assignments is not taken lightly by players, contrary to popular belief.

The former Juventus midfielder emphasised that being left out of the squad is always a significant disappointment for the players.

He, however, encouraged Otto Addo to assert his authority and continue making bold decisions for the betterment of the Black Stars.

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“Players would behave as if they don’t care but they care. In our days, players would be proving stubborn but when squad announcement time came, players were constantly on the phone trying to check if they were in,” he told 3Sports.

“He should let the players know that he is the boss. This is the situation where you have to put your foot down. I was with him in 2006 and he knows how important the World Cup is to Ghanaians.

He also cautioned against underestimating the preparations for the upcoming game, noting that the evolution of football has seen former underdogs transform into formidable opponents.

“The two games are going to be difficult. In the past, we would not be worried about the Central African Republic but after our experience against the likes of Madagascar and Comoros, it is no longer a given.

Ghana will begin camping on Thursday and travel to Bamako in Mali next week for the clash on June 6 before returning to Kumasi to CAR.

The Black Stars currently sit fourth in Group I of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind Comoros, Mali and Madagascar.

The post Players pretend they don’t care but they do – Stephen Appiah on Black Stars call-ups first appeared on 3News.

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