Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has responded to statements made by his former teammate, Kevin-Prince Boateng suggesting that the players were hesitant to support him when he seemingly advocated for their rights against Ghana Football Association officials.
Following the expulsion of the former Shalke-04 attacking midfielder and Sulley Muntari from camp during the 2014 World Cup, Boateng has recently opened up about the series of events that led to him ultimately being suspended.
“No one [spoke]. I wasn’t fighting for myself. I was fighting for the team. I saw them while going out with my luggage, and it was the worst moment. I said to [Muntari], the real team will say ‘we are all not playing,'” he lamented in an interview with Vibe with Five explaining how he left camp without any player uttering a word to support him.
A section of Ghanaians have therefore begun calling out Asamoah Gyan who served as captain for the team at the time with many blaming him and his teammates for not standing in solidarity with their teammates who were suspended for ‘doing what is right.’
In response to the criticisms, the Ghanaian football legend was compelled to speak out on the issue. He clarified that the team was not opposed to Kevin-Prince Boateng, asserting that they supported him behind the scenes without his knowledge.
He however claimed that, Kevin-Prince Boateng acted wayward much to the chagrin of Kwesi Appiah who got angry for the first time in Gyan’s site which is why nothing could be done to salvage Boateng’s suspension.
“Kevin’s [Kevin-Prince Boateng] case happened at the training grounds between him and the coach in front of everybody,” Gyan stated on Twitter. “So that was the coach’s decision cos coach felt Kevin disrespected him several times with his choice of words.
He continued: “One thing Kevin didn’t know is we defended him behind the scenes several times. But on that day, coach couldn’t take it anymore and reacted. That was the first time I saw Kwesi Appiah get angry and reacted. So Kevin’s case was the coach’s call. That’s the truth as the captain of the team” he concluded.
Boateng had earlier opened up to the actual issues that led to the authorities’ decision to sack him from camp stating that, “I got kicked out from the national team and Schalke in the same season,” Boateng recalled. “We had a meeting, and I criticised them, and I said, ‘They can’t treat us like that’ because we know how much they make, and they should invest in the organization [and] give the players the money they deserved.”
Boateng’s sack which came on the morning of Ghana’s crucial match which they lost to Portugal to eventually bow out from the group stage for the first timer in their history as far the competition is concerned, went away and never returned to the national team.
However, his club career was considerably remarkable as he featured for AC Milan, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspurs among a list of several clubs.
He announced his retirement in August to bring to an end a great career.
A few days ago the 36-year-old, in a brave act of faith declared himself Christian sharing pictures of his baptism in Germany.