Former captain of the Black Stars, Stephen Appiah has exclusively told JOY Sports that he has aspirations of coaching the national U-17 football team, the Black Starlets when he finally acquires his coaching badges in the near future.

Speaking on the JOY Sports Link last Saturday, Appiah said he had received encouragement from very respectable people in society who are eager to see him become the coach of the Black Stars someday.

The former Juventus star said coaching is high on his agenda even though he is yet to officially retire as a footballer.

He said he would like to work his way up the coaching ladder by taking up the Black Starlets job upon completion of his badges.

“I have never rushed in life, why should I go straight to coach Black Stars when I get my coaching badges? You have to start somewhere because it is going to be a new thing. It is not like football where I can say, I am good so I can do whatever I like with the football.  Coaching is a different area so if I get my badges I don’t think I will go to the Black Stars. I will be very humble to start from the Starlets and gradually I will get the experience and confidence to handle the Black Stars.” 

Stephen Appiah has become an admirable figure in Ghanaian football history after he guided the Black Stars to two successive FIFA World Cup tournaments (2006 and 2010) in Germany and South Africa respectively.

He is seen as future Black Stars coach and was recently part of the Black Stars’ backroom staff for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

He has also confirmed that he has been approached by the GFA to play a role ahead of the 2015 African Cup of Nation to be staged in Equatorial Guinea from January 17 to February 8.

Ghana have been housed in Group C alongside Algeria, Senegal and South Africa.