AFCON 2019: 'Respect The Authority Of Kwesi Appiah & Andre Ayew' - Black Stars Players Urged

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made a passionate appeal to the Ghana Black Stars to respect the authority of the national team coach, Kwesi Appiah and the team captain, Dede Ayew.

Andre Ayew, 29, was recently named as the new skipper for the Black Stars ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt this summer with Kwadwo Asamoah serving as the deputy skipper for the team.

Asamoah Gyan who has served the team as the captain of the team has now been made the general captain for the side.

Speaking during a meeting with the national team, as well as the management team and technical teams of the Ghana Black Stars at the banquet hall of the Jubilee House on Thursday evening, President Akufo-Addo said the only way to cement the team spirit of the Black Stars is to, without any shadow of reservation, respect at all times the direction given by the Coach and the duly appointed captain.

"You have to respect unreservedly, the authority of the coach and the authority of the captain, that is basic rules, non-negotiable rules; if you don't do it, everybody will be going their separate ways. If you do that you cement the teamwork and you will become a cohesive forceful force", the President said.

The President expressed great faith in the players of the Ghana Black Stars stating that he has no doubt that they are amongst the best players on the continent of Africa and among some of the best players in the world.

"Is at the heart of success in football as it is in virtually every enterprise. Without it, you can't succeed. To this end, he urged the players "to work for each other on the field of play".

"Helping each other to win the trophy, that is the teamwork we are looking at".

"So, your slogan, that is the slogan of the year, ‘the year of return’, this, indeed, is the year of return", of Ghana's 2019 Afcon campaign which is to bring the trophy to Ghana after going trophy-less for the last 37 years," he added.

The team is expected to leave the country on June 1 for their warm-up preparations in Dubai.