Assistant Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah says Derek Boateng is still key to the Black Stars despite playing a-bit part role at the 2012 African Cup of Nations.
Boateng has had little playing time at the tournament after with his only appearance being a late substitute in the 2-0 victory over Mali on Saturday.
Despite the experienced player yearning for more playing time, Appiah insists Boateng�s quality is very beneficial to the team.
�For Derek to be in the final 23 means he is a very good player,� Appiah said about the quality of the Ghana midfielder.
�Most of the time you go into competitions with two players for every position.
Sometimes, depending on tactical reasons you may use a player and if the player performs well, you may think about keeping the player for the next game.�
�We all know that Derek is one of our best players. He is a fantastic player. It is also important to have a good bench who you can always rely on. I believe it doesn�t really matter who starts and who sits on the bench, the important thing is making sure that we get a win.�