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Ghana national team captain Asamoah Gyan on Monday announced his retirement from international football just weeks before the Africa Nations Cup.
Gyan said his decision had been taken as a way to protest a plan by coach Kwesi Appiah to deny him the opportunity of captaining the Black Stars in next month’s Africa Nations Cup in Egypt.
“Upon consultation with my family and team . . . if the decision of the coach is to give captaincy of the tournament to another player while I am named in the team for the tournament, I wish to recuse myself from the tournament,” the 33-year-old player said in a statement.
Gyan is retiring just ahead of the Africa Nations Cup which kicks off on June 21.
The Black Stars are in Group F with Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau.
Gyan made his international debut at the age of 17 against Somalia in 2003.
He is Ghana’s all-time goal scorer in the national team with 51 goals in his 106 appearances.
He has also featured in three World Cups — 2006, 2010 and 2014.
— Reuters
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter