Stephen Appiah admits he still feels hurt about Laryea Kingston’s absence at the World Cups. Laryea Kingston was indeed a key figure for the Ghanaian national team and played a significant role in their qualification for the World Cup in 2006. However, he was suspended during the qualifiers, which led to his exclusion from the tournament.
After his suspension, Kingston returned to the squad and played in all the subsequent qualifiers. Despite his efforts, the then-head coach, Ratomir Dujković, decided not to include him in the final squad for the World Cup.
Appiah valued Kingston’s contributions and believed he should have been given the opportunity to showcase his talent on the world stage.
“We were naive [in 2006] about the rules…England took Rooney to the World Cup despite him being on suspension. If we had that knowledge in 2006, we would have pleaded with the GFA to add Laryea to the team because it was two games.”
“I am [pained] because Laryea was one of the players that when I look back, even though we played at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010, it looks as if we were not complete.
“Not because of his football but he should have been there because of his sacrifices. He was part of those who sacrificed. To date, I still feel bad,” he added.
