Ghana midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah has revealed that he opted not to play for his country at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations because he wants to help his Italian side Juventus.
The talented player said even though it was difficult to reject the Black Stars he felt the right way to recover fully from a career threatening is to stay with the Serie A side.
Asamoah decided not to play for Ghana at the tournament even though coach Avram Grant had wanted to make him a key part of the Black Stars for the tournament in Gabon.
Two years on the sidelines because of the knee injury looks to have taken its tolls of his career with moments of fear that he could lose his position in Juventus.
One month away playing for Ghana in Africa’s flagship competition could hurt his chances of gaining a place in Juventus while the uncertainty over his full recovery from injury lingers.
“It was hard to give up,” Asamoah admitted in an interview with JTV.
“The Coach [Avram Grant] and the President of the Federation [Kwesi Nyantakyi] called me many times, and I told them how much I’d have liked to go.
“I’ve had a lot of problems over the last two years though and right now I need to train and play as much as possible.
“I’m glad, because I wanted to stay here, work, and help the team.”
The Ghanaian was expected to miss January due to the tournament, but opted not to accept a call-up for the Black Stars.
The Black Stars will start their Africa Cup of Nations challenge next week when they take on Uganda in their opening Group D game.
They will take on Egypt and Mali in their subsequent games and with Asamoah – the Ghanaian with the biggest club in Europe – opting not to play could leave a sour taste in the mouth of some supporters and media in the country.
However some would be sympathetic to his cause as the injuries could have ended his career and also him staying away could damage his chances at Juventus.
