Appiah, a midfielder/forward from Ghana, attended Aggrey Memorial High School where he was an All-Central Region honoree as well as being selected as the region’s best player after registering six goals and eight assists in 13 matches. He twice helped his team to Central Region soccer championships as well as the Inter Schools Valco Tournament title and the Inter Schools Milo Tournament runner-up finish. He has been a member of the Columbus Blackstars FC while also attending Columbus State Community College.

"We are expecting good things from Eric,” said MVNU coach Paul Furey. "He is technically sound with a dangerous shot and is strong on the ball. We hope he makes an impact for us right away.”

"Eric is a terrific individual,” Furey continued. "He has a friendly personality which reflects his faith. We are glad to have him on board.”

In addition to playing soccer, Appiah was an honor roll student at Aggrey Memorial High School as well as being on the Dean’s List at Columbus State.

"The main reason why I chose MVNU was because of the Christian faith background,” said Appiah of his college choice. "During my first campus visit, I felt the love for MVNU because of the warm welcome I received from the Admissions staff. MVNU was the first school to respond to my application which guaranteed me a spot in the nursing program if I met all the prerequisites. I am very grateful to Wayne Pessia and Scott Tarrh for all their help and support in helping me choose MVNU.”

"Secondly, the (soccer) team also showed me the love of God and encouraged me to join them since I really enjoyed playing with them,” Appiah continued. "Through the help of the Admissions staff, I was able to meet with Coach Furey. After talking to him, he told me that if I can play the game (of soccer) that I would be welcome on his team and it really gave me the chance to show my talent and skills. I think with my effort we can take this team to a higher place this year.”

MVNU had a record-setting season in 2008 as the Cougars finished the year with an 18-4-2 overall record and an 8-1-2 mark in the American Mideast Conference. The team was ranked No. 7 in the final NAIA poll - the highest ranking in school history. MVNU qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the first time as well and advanced all the way to the Final Four to become the first team in school history in any sport to go that far.