Kwesi Appiah has temporarily stepped down from his position on the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association to concentrate on his responsibilities as head coach of Sudan in preparation for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The former Black Stars coach announced on Monday that he would be leaving the influential Executive Council, which is responsible for key decisions regarding Ghanaian football, including those affecting the Black Stars.
Appiah secured a seat on the Executive Council during last year’s Ghana FA elections but has been asked to step aside until November due to a conflict of interest.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) sent Appiah a letter urging him to resolve this issue, as holding roles with both the Ghana FA and Sudan’s national team posed a conflict, particularly with Sudan set to play against Ghana in critical qualifiers this month.
CAF’s Director of Legal Affairs, Felix Majani, stated in the letter that Appiah’s dual roles were in violation of CAF Statutes and the FIFA Code of Ethics.
“I encourage you to take immediate action to address this conflict of interest, which includes temporarily stepping down from one of your roles until the conclusion of the competition,” Majani wrote.
Despite earlier calls for Appiah to resign following the qualifiers draw, he initially decided to remain.
However, the CAF directive has prompted him to make this challenging choice. Ghana will face Sudan at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, October 11, with the return match scheduled for Libya on October 14.
Ghana, having not won in their first two games, must secure victories in both matches to improve their chances of qualification.
Currently, Sudan sits second in the group with three points, behind Angola, who leads with six points after defeating both Ghana and Sudan.
