“I Knew We Would Qualify Ahead of Ghana Because of Kwasi Appiah’s Personality and Experience” – Ignatius Osei-Fosu

Sudan assistant coach Ignatius Osei-Fosu has expressed his strong belief in Sudan’s AFCON 2025 qualification, citing the leadership and experience of James Kwasi Appiah as a decisive factor in their success.

Sudan’s qualification campaign saw them hold Ghana to a goalless draw (0-0) in the first leg before securing a 2-0 victory in the second leg, finishing as runners-up in their group behind Angola. This left Ghana and Niger failing to qualify for the AFCON 2025 tournament.

Kwasi Appiah, a former Black Stars captain and coach, is widely respected for his role in Ghana’s 6-1 victory over Egypt in Kumasi, which secured World Cup qualification in 2014.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s SportsNite show with Alex Kobina Stonne, Osei-Fosu highlighted Appiah’s track record and tactical expertise as reasons for Sudan’s edge over Ghana and other teams in the qualifiers.

“I knew we would qualify ahead of Ghana and the other teams because we have James Kwasi Appiah, a man with vast experience,” he stated.

“He led Ghana to the 2014 World Cup, where Ghana was the only team Germany couldn’t beat. That match was rated the best in the second round and even the entire tournament. Ghana vs. USA was also the best match in the first round.”

 Osei-Fosu believes Appiah’s reputation and approach significantly boosted Sudan’s chances.

“With Kwasi Appiah, we had a 50% chance of qualifying. His personality and experience made a difference,” he added.

Sudan’s success marks a significant achievement for Appiah, further solidifying his reputation as one of Africa’s most experienced coaches.