Charles Kwablan Akonnor has hailed Sudan national team coach Kwasi Appiah as being exceptionally “tactically aware” in relation to the current dynamics of modern football.
Appiah, who previously served as Akonnor’s assistant during his tenure with the Ghana national team, has remarkably transformed the fortunes of the Sudanese national team. Under his leadership, the Jedaine Falcons have managed four wins in seven matches, placing them two points ahead of Senegal in Group B of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Additionally, they currently occupy second place in Group F of the qualifiers for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (CAN).
On the bench, Appiah oversaw a scoreless draw in the AFCON qualifiers against Ghana at the Accra Sports Stadium. The two teams are scheduled to meet again for the second leg on Tuesday October 15 in Libya.
Akonnor said: “He is as capable now as he was when he was coaching the Ghana national team. Although he doesn’t talk much, he is very aware of contemporary tactical trends in football. » In a candid interview with JoySports, he added: “To claim that he lacks knowledge is simply false, which is a common misconception. Kwasi has truly revitalized the Sudanese team. They play without fear, exude confidence, and that says a lot about his coaching skills. »
Despite his success, the Ghana Football Federation chose not to extend Appiah’s contract following his second stint as Ghana coach from 2017 to 2020, which ended with the team’s elimination in round of 16 during CAN 2019.
In his first tenure, Appiah led the Black Stars to the semi-finals of the AFCON in 2013 and made history as the first black African coach to lead Ghana to the World Cup at the 2014 tournament in Brazil .
