Ghanaian captain, Stephen Appiah, finally made his long awaited league debut for Bologna on Sunday in the Italian Serie A.

In an entertaining game Appiah brought to an end a dark period in his footballing career after being absent from club action for almost two years.

Introduced back to the world of European football Appiah entered the pitch of Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on the 45th minute mark for Marcelo Zalayeta. Bologna drew 1-1 with Catania having taken the early lead with a goal from striker Marco Di Vaio.

The result guarantees Bologna their place in their Serie A for next season.

For Appiah, 29, and signed on by Bologna during the January transfer window, his first game in the league’s final stages will be a major boost as he prepares for the World Cup in South Africa with his native Ghana.

The Black Stars (The Ghana national football team) have named Appiah in their 30-man provisional squad for this year’s World Cup in South Africa.  The squad will have a training camp in France starting on 24 May.

Stephen Appiah is no stranger to Italian Serie A, having played for Udinese, Parma, Brescia and Juventus earlier in his career.