Stephen Appiah impressed with Black Stars' performances against Japan and South Korea despite defeats

Vice Chairman of the Black Stars Management Committee, Stephen Appiah has lauded the national team’s performance despite suffering consecutive defeats during their recent Asian tour.

As part of preparations for next year’s World Cup, Ghana faced Japan and South Korea. The Black Stars fell 2-0 to Japan at Toyota Stadium before a 1-0 loss to South Korea at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, leaving them winless in the November international window.

Speaking to Kobe Boujee, Appiah, a former Ghana captain, emphasized the importance of performance over results.

“I’m so happy with the performance of the guys, especially in the second game against South Korea. Against Japan, the second half they played well [and] against South Korea they played better,” Appiah told Kobe Boujee.

“We went there for results, but at times it’s not only about the results but also about the performance. You watch certain games and you see teams losing, but you see the fans applauding them, which means they gave everything."

Appiah added that such matches provide valuable opportunities for players who have been in the national setup but rarely get game time.

“That’s what our guys did, and I am also happy that some of the guys had the chance to show themselves because they have been in camp for so many months, and they have been getting call-ups, but they don’t get the chance to play, so platforms like these will give them the chance to show themselves," he added.

The Black Stars are set to regroup in March as they continue their World Cup preparations ahead of the tournament co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The team will discover their group stage opponents on December 5.