Kwesi Appiah has final say on Black Stars squad for AFCO say Odartey Lamptey

The ex-Black Stars attacker shares his thoughts on the possible inclusion of Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng in the Ghana Afcon squad

Former Ghana international Nii Odartey Lamptey says the ultimate decision regarding Ghana’s possible selection of Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt should be left with coach James Kwesi Appiah. 

Barcelona forward Boateng, 32, and 34-year-old Muntari, who currently plays for Spanish second tier side Albacete Balompie, have both expressed an interest in joining the Black Stars for the continental gathering after a five-year absence. 

The have been away from national duty since being sent home from camp during the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil. 

“You can’t buy experience. Experience is important,” Lamptey told Kwese Sports.

“If Kwesi Appiah and his technical team believe they [Muntari and Boateng] will help the team, why not? 

“They [technical team] should be able to invite them, but if anything happens they [technical team] will be held responsible.

“Somebody like Sulley, you can’t take many thing away from him but with Kevin, I have seen him play only once for the national team when we went to the World Cup. 

“With Sulley, yes I can give him that opportunity.”

At the World Cup, Muntari and Boateng were both sent home on the morning of Ghana’s must-win group game against Portugal for separate offences.

Boateng was handed an indefinite suspension for ‘verbal insults’ targeted at coach James Kwesi Appiah during training, while Muntari was sacked for a “physical assault” on a management committee member.

According to the Ghana Football Association, only a formal apology from each of the two players could open up an opportunity for a return to national duty.

Muntari sent in his apology in June 2016 but Boateng has remained unapologetic.

A white paper from a presidential Committee of Enquiry, which investigated matters relating to Ghana’s controversial 2014 World Cup campaign, recommended that the two players be kept out of the national team.

Ghana, drawn against Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau in Group F at the 2019 continental showpiece, are seeking to end a 37-year trophy drought at this year’s Afcon, which is set to run between June 21 and July 19.