Despite being overlooked for Ghana’s latest squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, Asamoah Gyan remains the Black Stars captain according to coach Kwesi Appiah.
The 58-year-old opted not to hand the Kayserispor striker an international recall for the September 8 meeting with Kenya, but is not yet replacing him as the national team captain.
Speaking to journalists ahead of Wednesday’s squad announcement, Appiah moved to end speculation that the 32-year-old had been replaced.
“We don’t have a new captain,” he began, as per GhanaWeb TV. “Asamoah Gyan remains the captain of the Black Stars.
“Until we announce that we have appointed a new captain, it’s unnecessary for people to speculate that we have a new captain,” Appiah continued. “This captaincy issue keeps coming out and brings troubles in the team.
“We want to have our peace. Ghanaians should support the team and stop bringing up issues that do not exist.”
As well as Gyan, one of the squad’s other potential leaders – Andre Ayew – has been overlooked for the meeting with Kenya.
Internazionale’s Kwadwo Asamoah has returned to the fold after four years in the international wilderness, and boasts ample experience to wear the captain’s armband, while Thomas Partey – who captained Ghana in their pre-World Cup friendly against Japan, could be another option.
For the second time in his career, Gyan missed a crucial penalty kick in a major tournament when he missed a penalty kick in the 2012 African Cup of Nations semi-final. Ghana went on to lose 1–0. After missing that penalty kick, Gyan decided to take an “indefinite break” from international football. On 8 May 2012, he announced his return to the Black Stars team.
On 2 June 2014, Gyan was named in Ghana’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the team’s opening match, he captained the Black Stars against the United States in a 2–1 defeat. He scored his first goal of the tournament in a 2–2 draw with Germany, equaling Roger Milla’s record of five FIFA World Cup goals. In the final group match, he became the top African goalscorer in World Cup finals history by scoring the Black Stars’ goal as they were defeated 2–1 by Portugal.
At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Gyan missed Ghana’s opening match, a 2–1 loss to Senegal, with a “mild bout” of malaria. He returned for the second match, scoring a last minute winning goal against the tournament favourite Algeria in a 1–0 win for the Black Stars.