Sports News of Sunday, 15 January 2023

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Why did you apologise to me if captaincy strip was the right decision? - Asamoah Gyan to Kwasi Appiah

Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan

Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has quizzed why former Ghana coach Kwasi Appiah apologized to him if the decision to strip him of the captaincy was right.

On the eve of the African Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019, the coach of the Black Stars Kwasi Appiah decided to strip Asamoah Gyan off the captain's armband.

Instead, coach Kwasi Appiah handed the captain's armband to Gyan's deputy Andre Ayew creating a storm even before the tournament began.

The former Sunderland player believes former Black Stars gaffer Kwasi Appiah had the time wrong and habours regrets about that decision but adds that the reasons given him were not coherent.

"Of course, I didn't agree but if you think you've taken the decision why do you call me to apologise? My team met his team at Holiday Inn,” Gyan told Dan Kwaku Yeboah on YouTube.

“They spoke to me and apologised and told me not to be angry. Why do you have to apologise if it's your decision? If it's the right decision, why do you call my team and sit down to talk about it? Why? If it's because of the relationship we had then I understand."

He added: "He gave me the captain. He flew to Dubai but when he wanted to take the armband back, it wasn't the right time. He had to give me a tangible reason. Somebody was the captain before me and I don't have a problem with coach but I felt the timing was wrong. And also the explanation for the reason why he did that wasn't coherent. That was why I got angry."

"I told home I was angry and suggested that he leaves me out of the squad so that he could work with a sound mind. He told me I should rethink it because I'm in his plans."

Asamoah Gyan retired abruptly after the incident and it had to take Presidential persuasion from the head of state Nana Addo for him to rescind his decision in a tournament he was on the periphery.

Ghana's all-time top scorer with 51 goals has not called time on his storied career but has been unattached for close to two years now.