Football not for dropouts — Stephen Appiah

Former Black Stars skipper, Stephen “Tornado” Appiah, has called on juvenile footballers to place premium on formal education. “Football is not for school drop-outs”, Appiah stated in an interview with the GNA Sports in Kumasi.

He contended that there were many renowned international footballers with solid academic background who were placing their acquired knowledge to good use after retiring from active football.

Appiah said a lot of opportunities, including managerial, coaching and other technical appointments abound in the football world where the educated footballer could take advantage.

Appiah, a member of the victorious Black Starlets squad that won the 1995 Under-17 FIFA World Cup, was in Kumasi as special guest of the Milo Under-13 Champions’ League, held at the Paa Joe Stadium.

The competition, which saw the participation of more than 100 schools, was won by the Eastern Region after they beat Volta Region 2-0 in the grand finale to lift the trophy and a cheque for GH¢10,000.

Appiah, one of the few Ghanaian footballers who rose through the ranks of juvenile football to captain the senior national team, attributed his success to discipline, commitment and hard work and urged young players to appreciate the value of those who made it to the top.

Laryea Kingson, Augustine Arhinful and Gago Mohammed were the other former national team players who watched the competition.