Report by: Osei Bernard Esar
Within 24 hours prior to the official release of the 30 man squad to camp in Dubai to prepare for the African Cup of (AFCON) in Egypt, all time Ghanaian leading goal scorer Asamoah Gyan has announced his retirement from international football.
Over the last decade, he has been yards away our best striker and a fantastic leader both on and off the pitch mixing football with music.
But surprising as his untimely retirement is, this has been a prevailing issue surrounding the Black Stars of Ghana. It is almost as though when there is a tournament approaching or ongoing or the aftermath of any tournament something happens.
From issues ranging with bonuses to selection problem, as well as from Kwesi Nyantekyi to squad selection problems.
And characteristically the whole arena of Ghana football has been in somewhat of a low moment following the Anas exposé which shook the very core of GFA.
Avoidably, the senior national football team could have been in the best of places or moments but time without number it appears as though trouble or controversies can not elude us.
The backbone for Asamoah Gyan’s retirement basically resides on captaincy issues where James Kwesi Appiah is claimed to have phoned him to inform him, Baby Jet of making him captain general and naming André Dede Ayew as team captain which similar incident happened to John Mensah and Steven Appiah.
General captain which automatically means you’ve been displaced but we appreciate your efforts and dedication so just take this title, this to say was not going to go down well to Ghana’s all time top goal poacher that, now we are at the crossroads yet again.
Although Dede Ayew has been confirmed as the new skipper of the team following Kwesi Appiah’s official list of players who are likely to make it to Egypt in July, it is yet to be seen if the U-20 World Cup winner will bring the luck his father rode on when Ghana last won the continents elite trophy.
Consecutively in the last four editions of the AFCON, Ghana has made it into the semi finals and very close to winning the fifth trophy but luck has given up on us every now and then or should we say that, our off field activities plagues is what we see on the field and that results with us not bringing home the trophy.
This year’s competition to be held in Egypt is one that has caught attention and for the recent brouhaha, it is only time that can unfold whatever fate that is in store for the Black Stars of Ghana.
