By Ameenu Shardow
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Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has explained he was limited to only six substitutions as the reason why some players didn’t get the chance to play in the friendly defeat to the Netherlands.
The Black Stars fell to an early Robin Van Persie strike – which eventually proved to be the winner – in the warm up game played in Rotterdam to wrap up the team’s week-long camping in the Netherlands on Saturday evening.
Appiah could only rely on the use of seventeen players – including substitutes – as agreed upon by both sides before the friendly match.
Some have wondered why some players didn’t get the opportunity to prove themselves against the quality Oranje team especially with the deadline approaching for the Black Stars trainer to name his final squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
But Appiah has explained he was restricted to make only six substitutions as the reason why others were not given the chance following unsuccessful pleas to have that number increased before the game in Rotterdam.
“I had 26 players and I pleaded with the match commissioner to convince the Dutch team if they could agree to 10 substitutions so at least all players will have the opportunity to play this match,†Appiah revealed at his post-match press conference.
“But unfortunately it was not agreed upon – we were only to change six and as I said I needed to be 100 percent sure of some of the players that I need to include in the final 23.â€
Kwesi Appiah was unable to use the likes of Fatau Dauda, Stephen Adams, Daniel Opare and John Boye as a result of the substitution limitations for the friendly match against the Netherlands before the final cut was made for this month’s tournament in Brazil.
The others who also didn’t get a piece of the action include skipper Asamoah Gyan, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Sulley Muntari and Mubarak Wakaso.
The Black Stars team have since left for the final leg of their preparations in the USA.