Kwesi Appiah: Replacing Asamoah Gyan Is A Tough Task

Former Black Stars striker Kwesi Appiah has acknowledged the difficulty of replacing Ghanaian football legend Asamoah Gyan, emphasizing the void left by the country’s all-time leading scorer.

“It’s a very tough task to replace someone of his calibre and quality,” Appiah said in an exclusive interview with Flashscore.

The Boreham Wood striker, who played alongside Gyan during Ghana’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign, described the experience as one of the highlights of his career. Ghana finished as runners-up in that tournament after a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Ivory Coast.

“Gyan was always someone I admired from afar. I followed his career closely because he was the star of our national team for many years. Playing alongside him and partnering him up front was a moment I will cherish forever. He’s a true legend and a great human being,” Appiah stated.

Gyan’s exceptional career with the Black Stars saw him score 51 goals in 109 international appearances, cementing his status as Ghana’s all-time top scorer. His six goals across three FIFA World Cups also made him Africa’s highest-scoring player in the tournament’s history.

Since Gyan’s last international appearance in 2019, Ghana has struggled to find a reliable goal-scorer, leading to inconsistent performances. The team’s lack of a prolific striker has been a major challenge in recent years.

Appiah admitted that filling Gyan’s shoes will not be easy but expressed confidence in rising talents like Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo.

“At this moment, Kudus and potentially Semenyo are playing really well for their clubs. We hope they can eventually reach that level of consistency for Ghana and help lead the team to glory, just as Asamoah Gyan so often did,” he added.