Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has announced his retirement from the Black Stars with immediate effect.

In a statement, the striker said he will also not be available for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt.

“Upon consultation with my family and team, and as an active footballer and captain of the National 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,” Gyan said in a statement.

He added: “I also wish to retire from the national team permanently; not pretending my presence would not fuel the purported undermining the country has seen under my captaincy.

“I would continue to serve the country Ghana in other endeavors as a businessman through various investments.”

Gyan made his international debut at the age of 17 and scored on his senior International debut for Ghana against Somalia on 19 November 2003 in the 90th minute. Since then, he has gone on to make 106 appearances for the Black Stars scoring a total of 51 goals

As the all-time leading goalscorer of the Ghana national team, with 51 goals, he represented Ghana at 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. With 6 goals, he is the top African goalscorer in the history of the World Cup.

Gyan has also represented Ghana at the 2004 Summer Olympics and in seven Africa Cup of Nations in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017, helping them finish in third-place in 2008 and runner-up in 2010 and 2015.

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