Former Ghana forward Derek Boateng has singled out Stephen Appiah as the benchmark for leadership during his reign as Black Stars captain.
Speaking in an interview, Boateng explained that Appiah’s influence went far beyond wearing the armband, as he consistently set the tone through his actions.
According to him, Appiah’s discipline and commitment played a key role in shaping one of Ghana’s most successful football generations.
The former Juventus midfielder remains widely regarded as the greatest Black Stars captain and was the first to lead the nation to a FIFA World Cup, guiding Ghana to the 2006 tournament in Germany.
Boateng stressed that Appiah’s authority within the squad came naturally because he practised what he preached.
“Stephen would never ask a young player to do anything he wouldn’t do himself on the field or in training. I remember watching him train, the way he ran and worked. I said to myself, ‘Look at my senior, how he’s running, how he’s playing,” he told Sporty FM.
”I need to do more. I need to step up.’ Everything he asked us to do, he did it himself to show us we had no excuse. His leadership quality was amazing. When it was time to joke, we joked. When it was time for business, it was business.”
