Not too long ago Kwabena Appiah was standing in the bowels of Parramatta Stadium, one of Western Sydney Wanderers’ first three signings, wide-eyed and a little overawed at the media attention he was receiving.
Now he’s standing on the verge of winning the biggest football competition in Asia and adding to a trophy cabinet already containing an A-League minor premiership with the Wanderers) and a National Youth League title at the Central Coast Mariners.
With Tarek Elrich released to Adelaide United after season one and Aaron Mooy joining revamped Melbourne City this season, 22-year-old Appiah is now the only player in the Wanderers squad who has been there from day one.
And he knows what a tilt at being champions of Asia means.
“It’s the Champions League final in the biggest continent in the world. Even for the senior players it’s a massive moment in their careers,” Appiah said.
“It’s easily the biggest game in club history.
“There’s an estimated 1 billion people watching.
“These next two weeks are going to be the best two weeks of our careers at club level unless we end up playing in a UEFA Champions League final or a World Cup final.
“These games, they will live with us for the rest of our lives.”
So does Appiah have to pinch himself that he’s already achieved more than a lot of players have achieved in a lifetime of professional football?
The answer seems to be no, but he does admit the last two years have been more than he could have imagined when he was signed to the club by coach Tony Popovic.
“Personally it’s been an unexpected and crazy ride. I never thought I would come this far in terms of trophies and the club as well, but credit to the club and myself for the hard work as well,” Appiah reflected.
“This year we want to win the grand final and the Asian Champions League final, do that and then I’ve won everything I can win as an A-League player in Asia.
“For the club in general it’s been amazing.
“Working with the players and achieving the goals we set, meeting the targets or narrowly just missing them it’s been an amazing experience.
“Other clubs might think that it came easy, but the amount we have all put in has been incredible.
“This journey just keeps getting better and better and now it’s time for more silverware.”
Asian Champions League final opponents Al Hilal are a big side in a league that is renowned for having the money to grab some of the world’s best players when they are at the end of their prime.
One such player is former Hamburg star, Brazilian Thiago Neves, and for Appiah it could be the direct match-up of a lifetime.
“They’ve got one of the players I used to idolise growing up, Thiago Neves, absolute freak, left-footer, a winner for Hamburg. I rated him highly when he was at (Brazilian club) Fluminense as well, so coming up against him will be a great experience.”
Neves may not quite be at the peak of his powers, but Appiah himself has continued to improve along the way for the Wanderers and has enjoyed break-out moments.
A blur down the right, his pace has caught defenders off-guard and he admits his best has come in Asia.
“Both games against Kawasaki (Frontale) it’s the best I’ve probably played and I don’t think I’ve ever played with such a smile on my face.
And that was against arguably the best football side in Japan.”
Appiah said the win over China’s Guangzhou Evergrande, Asia’s biggest club has given his team the confidence that this competition is their’s for the taking.
It starts with Saturday night’s home first leg of the final against Al Hilal at Parramatta Stadium.
“We need a result, a positive result and we can go to the second leg knowing what to do,” he said.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
Mathew Leckie played a pivotal part in Melbourne City claiming an 8-nil win; playing a role in several of his team's goals.
The loser of the Sydney Derby will be under immense pressure entering the final three matches of the season.
Anthony Caceres is a player with immense talent and has a fantastic work rate, broke the deadlock against the Mariners in the 74th minute.
Western Sydney coach Marko Rudan says his side have recaptured their edge after breaking their Campbelltown Stadium hoodoo with a 3-1 clobbering of cross-town…
The Wanderers coach admits he has stuff going on in his personal life, and insists he has full support of playing group.
