As former Ghana captain Stephen Appiah bids farewell to his playing career, there is no doubt it is his moments in the Black Stars jersey that will provide the best memories.

The Tornado was one of those rare players for whom international football seemed to bring more fame and acceptance than club career. True he has some good times at Parma, was good for Brescia alongside Pep Guardiola and Roberto Baggio, won a Serie A title with Juventus and enjoyed god-like status with Fernabahce in Turkey.

But the moments we would remember Appiah for, the moments that sticks the most, the moments that endears him to so many people in Ghana and on the continent were with the Black Stars. And even specifically those were over a brief two or three year period.

Appiah is not one of those who can count many caps and many tournaments to their names. He has many disappointments. He didn’t play much under Guiseppe Dosena when Ghana co-hosted the competition in 2000, was injured for the 2002 edition and then captained Ghana as the Black Stars collapsed in the first round at the 2006 Nations Cup.

But when he had his moments, they were immensely significant and historic. Here is our pick of the moments that defined the Ghana legend that is Stephen Appiah.

12th August 2004

The Athens Olympics is rarely mentioned but it is fair to say it was one of the best tournaments Appiah played for Ghana. He scored twice in three group matches as Ghana exited the competition on goal difference in a draw against Italy and a win over Paraguay. His goal against Italy that gave Ghana a two-goal cushion was particularly stunning and a reminder to his then Italian employees that they have a gem on their hands.

He picked up the ball a good 30meters from the Italian goal post, slipped the ball through the legs of two players and unleashed a curling beauty. You won’t see many better goals than that by a Ghanaian player at international level.

20th June 2004 - Ghana versus South Africa

Beside the 2004 Olympics, some of Appiah’s best moments came in the journey to the 2006 world cup. His exemplary leadership has been credited for helping build a team of players who dug in for each other. It is also common knowledge that he led by example and dragged the team on to vital points every step of the way.

Take the example of the home game against South Africa. The Black Stars were up against opponents who had consistently got the better of them in two competitive Nations Cup games. To reach a first ever world cup, Ghana knew beating Bafana Bafana was non negotiable. And that became even more pressing because the Black Stars has lost their first game in the qualifying away to Burkina Faso.

So cometh the hour, cometh the team, dragged on by the leadership of Appiah both on and off the pitch. On pitch battered by rain before the game, Appiah set up Muntari for the first before scoring two more in the second half for an emphatic 3-0 victory, Ghana’s first at competitive level over South Africa. In the most crucial moment, the captain had delivered. It was not the first time he would do that as the Black Stars bid for their first world cup appearance.

5th June 2005 Ghana versus Burkina Faso

A year after beating South Africa in emphatic style, Ghana’s campaign was beginning to stutter. South Africa was winning games, Ghana was drawing them with two against Congo DR home and away after another draw against Uganda in Kampala. It made a home game against Burkina Faso in Kumasi all the more important but it didn’t star well. First Mumuni Dagano scored for the Burkinabes who were looking to complete the double over Ghana. Appiah had other ideas however. His goal from the spot brought Ghana level before he set up the winner for Matthew Amoah to score the winner. It was potentially that saved the campaign.

18th June 2005 Ghana versus South Africa, Johannesburg

Perhaps the biggest moment in Ghana’s qualifying campaign was in Johannesburg, two weeks after the Black Stars had struggled to that win over Burkina Faso.

The idea had always been that Ghana will be involved in a straight fight against South Africa for a world cup place and so it proved. At the FNB Stadium that day, the Black Stars needed to win to take control of the group again. And in Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah, they had two players who completely bossed the South Africans in midfield and ensured that game was played at Ghana’s pace. Appiah has a hand in both goals too. First he released Matthew Amoah for the opening on the hour mark and then set up Essien with a delightful lob that hung in the air and begged for a touch before Essien obliged. 2-0, job done, South Africa dislodged. No wonder many people view that to be Appiah’s greatest moment in a Ghana shirt.

17th June 2006 Ghana versus Czech Republic

Ghana’s world cup bow against Italy had ended in one of those glorious defeats as we say here; the kind you prove to people you can play but can’t find the results to back up. Against Czech Republic, things needed to change and Appiah was there to ensure that. He sat in midfield alongside Michael Essien and made a mockery of the famed Czech duo of Pavel Nedved and Tomas Rosicky.

It was also his delightful 2nd minute pass that set up Asamoah Gyan for Ghana’s first ever world cup goal. It is fair to say there has not been a more dominant display by an individual player in a Ghana shirt at the world cup since then. It earned him the adulation of many worldwide. In Ghana confirmed what we knew long ago; Appiah was pure gold, a superb baller, a wonderful leader who knew that the best way to lead was to do so by example.

22nd June 2006 Ghana versus United States

They say pictures always tell a story better and just in case you get to see the still images of Ghana’s thrilling 2-1 win over USA at the 2006 world cup, there are two worth looking out for.

 

The first is the concentration on Stephen Appiah’s face when he prepares to take the game defining penalty against USA and the second is the emotion on his face after he had thumped it in. He avoids any eye contact with Kasey Keller and later speaks of how he is saying in his mind “you, I am going to score  you”. 

And score him he did with perhaps the most historic penalty kick in Ghana’s football history. It was a kick that sealed Appiah’s own legendary status.

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Michael Oti Adjei writes for the BBC, TV3 Network and All Sports Ghana