Stripping Gyan of his captaincy was 'senseless' – Joetex Frimpong

Former Black Stars striker, Joetex Asamoah-Frimpong has said that James Kwasi Appiah’s decision to strip Asamoah Gyan of his captaincy ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations was senseless.

The iconic striker was stripped of the role few weeks before the start of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Displeased Gyan did not take the decision likely as he announced his retirement from international duty and would only rescind his stance following a plea by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

However, the former Enyimba FC forward sharing his thought about the issue described it as senseless.

Speaking to Wontumi FM in Kumasi, he said, “I was not in Gyan’s shoes but I was very disappointed in Kwasi Appiah’s decision to strip him off the captaincy. I respect Kwasi Appiah a lot because what I heard about him I was impressed but to take the captaincy from Gyan, honestly I was very disappointed in him.”

He continued that, “Gyan is not a small player, Dede is good but he is not at the level of Gyan because at the time we were playing Dede was in the U-20 team. You have invited both players into the national and you want to give the captain armband to Dede on the pitch, me I don’t have a problem but you cannot take the armband from Asamoah whiles he is the captain in the team. If you don’t want to give the armband to Gyan just don’t invite him to camp, that’s all.”

“No one would talk if he had done that because he is the coach but the moment you call Gyan you cannot strip him off. Asamoah is the captain and Dede is his assistants but who plays have the band. Stripping Gyan off the captaincy while he is still with the team is a controversy.”

“To me, Gyan was not okay with the decision likewise the people around him because even I was not with Asamoah but I wasn’t okay, its embarrassing and what Gyan has done, if you decide to exclude him from the team nobody will talk but calling him in the national team and you said he is not going to captain, for me, it did not make sense,” he said.