I aimed to play at 2022 World Cup for the people – Asamoah Gyan

Former skipper of the Black Stars, Asamoah Gyan has spoken about his reported desire to play for the senior national team at the last World Cup in Qatar.

Gyan told the BBC months to the tournament in 2022 that he had plans of working to attain the necessary fitness to play for Ghana.

Speaking for the first time after the World Cup on the KSM show, he said his motivation to play at the World Cup was because of motivation he got from lots of Ghanaians adding that he bought into the idea but knew that he had to earn the call up.

“There were lots of talk on the street with people motivating you that you can really do it. My aim was to do it for the people and make them happy. They made me happy and they are the same people calling me that you can do it.

“So, I was like let me do it. Let me get to that level and see but unfortunately, it didn’t happen… I said in one of the interviews that I had to earn the call up,” he said in response to some of the critique that greeted his announcement.

“People took it wrongly (that) I said I was returning to the national team, as if the national team is mine. So, people took it wrong and people started bashing me, saying somethings and insulting me,” he lamented.

Coach Otto Addo did not include Gyan in his provisional or main squad for the tournament. The team recorded a win and two losses crashing out at the group stage. Otto Addo resigned after the team’s exit.

In 2006, Gyan was an instrumental part of the Stephen Appaih-led Black Stars team that qualified Ghana to her first World Cup in Germany.

Gyan is Africa’s top scorer at the World Cup with six goals. He scored 51 goals in 109 appearances to become the all-time scorer for the Black Stars.



SARA