Former skipper of the Black Stars, Stephen Appiah is said to be lacing his political boots to compete against John Dumelo of the NDC and incumbent MP Lydia Alhassan of the NPP in the 2024 parliamentary election for Ayawaso West Wuogon.
This information was shared on social media by Fifi Tackey, the spokesperson for the Ayew Family, who revealed that the former Black Stars player intends to run as an independent candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency seat in this year’s election.
Up until now, Stephen Appiah has not shown any interest in politics or aligned himself with any political party.
Therefore, this decision comes as a major surprise, especially considering that many football fans were hoping he would play a role in Ghanaian football to help improve the country’s declining fortunes.
Known affectionately as Tornado, Appiah was highly popular among Ghanaian fans due to his dedication and discipline on the field, having led Ghana to two consecutive World Cups.
Appiah kicked off his professional career at local team Hearts of Oak in 1995, when he was just 15 years old. The following year, he underwent trials with Galatasaray’s youth squad but did not secure a contract, leading him to return to Hearts of Oak.
In 1997, he decided to move overseas and signed with Italian Serie A club Udinese, initially playing as a striker.
After spending three seasons with Udinese, he transitioned to a deeper midfield role. A potential transfer to Parma in 1999 was hindered by viral hepatitis, but Appiah managed to recover and completed the move in the summer of 2000.
Following two seasons at Parma, he was loaned out to Brescia for the 2002–03 season. Appiah quickly established himself as a key player for Brescia, finding the back of the net seven times in 31 appearances.
