Kwesi Appiah Picks Sudan Over GFA Job

Kwesi Appiah has temporarily stepped down from the Ghana Football Association’s Executive Council to focus on his role as head coach of Sudan ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

On Monday, Appiah announced his decision to leave the powerful Executive Council (ExCo), which oversees key decisions affecting Ghana football, including matters concerning the Black Stars.

Appiah secured a seat on the ExCo during last year’s Ghana FA elective congress, but he must step aside until November due to a conflict of interest. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) sent him a letter requesting that he resolve the conflict, as his positions with both the Ghana FA and Sudan’s national team posed an issue, especially with Sudan set to face Ghana in the upcoming qualifiers.

The letter, signed by CAF’s Director of Legal Affairs, Felix Majani, stated that Appiah’s dual roles violated CAF Statutes and the FIFA Code of Ethics.

“I urge you to take immediate action to resolve this conflict of interest, including, at a minimum, temporarily stepping down from one of the two roles until the conclusion of the competition,” Majani wrote.

Despite previous calls for Appiah to step down after the qualifiers draw, he initially chose to stay on. However, the CAF directive has led him to make the difficult decision. Ghana will face Sudan at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, October 11, with the return leg in Libya on October 14.

Ghana, winless after two matches, must secure victories in both upcoming games to enhance their chances of qualifying. Meanwhile, Sudan, with three points, currently holds second place in the group, trailing leaders Angola, who have six points after defeating both Ghana and Sudan.