Let’s Respect Asamoah Gyan’s Decision To Retire From The National Team – Augustine Arhinful

EX-Black Stars player, Augustine Arhinful has called on Ghanaians to respect Asamoah Gyan’s decision to retire from the national team on a permanent basis.

The Captain for the Black Stars shockingly revealed through a press release that he will want to be recused from the team that will be representing Ghana at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

In addition, he is hanging his boot as far as playing for the national team is involved due to some issues pertaining to Head Coach James Kwesi Appiah's decision to name a substantive captain for the Stars when he is fit and around to play for the team.

Whiles the decision from the Kayserispor attacker has left many heartbroken, Augustine Arhinful believes that it is the player’s decision and Ghanaians must accept and respect his privacy. According to him, Gyan’s experience will be needed at the 2019 AFCON but it is unfortunate he will not be around to represent Ghana for one final time.

“His experience alone we cannot do without his experience. If I was him I would have wished that he should go to the AFCON and come back before officially you can hang your boot. As I said it is very unfortunate for him to have taken the decision even before the squad was announced. Nonetheless, we have to respect his views”, Arhinful said in an interview with Radio Premier on Monday evening.

He added, “I don’t know the kind of conversation he has had with the coach or any of the management members because he is not here in the country. Even if they might have talked it would have been over the phone so I don’t want to speculate. If indeed this is a decision that he has taken together with his family and his team then I think we have to respect his privacy”.