'Unknown faces' influnced Kwesi Appiah's decision to strip me of captaincy - Gyan

Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan believes coach Kwesi Appiah's decision to strip him of the Black Stars captaincy and bench him at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations was influenced by 'someone'.

The legendary player refused to name the person who influenced the decision but insist the Black Stars coach was not his own man during the tournament in Egypt.

The 33-year-old iconic figure was stripped of Ghana captaincy before the tournament and handed to Swansea City star Andre Ayew which sparked a furious response from the attacker.

He was subsequently restricted to the substitute bench and used sparingly during the tournament in the North African country.

The country's leading top scorer failed to score at the tournament for the first time since 2008 due to lack of playing opportunities.

And the former Sunderland hitman believes there were third parties that influenced the decision to play down his influence.

"100% I believe Kwesi Appiah was influenced to take those decisions. There is no doubt about that," Gyan told Asempa FM.

"They are not politicians but someone infleunced him to take the decision. At the end the coach takes the responsibility but I know someone influenced him because it was not his own decision."

Gyan was stripped of the captaincy few weeks to the start of the tournament in Egypt which sparked massive controversy in the West African nation.

He rescinded his decision to retire from the international duty after a conversation with the Ghana's president Nana Akufo Addo.