According to SuperSport, Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan has requested exemption from the friendly match against Liberia scheduled for September 11 in Monrovia. The Ghanaian football federation had announced the friendly as part of Liberia’s independence celebration, just three days after Ghana’s CAN 2013 qualifying match against Malawi. While Gyan has no objections to playing against Malawi, he prefers to sit out the match against Liberia, citing commitments with his Emirati club, Al Ain.
Gyan, the former Sunderland striker in England, has explained that Al Ain has a final of the Emirates Super Cup on September 12, the day after the Liberia match. Eager to contribute to the possible triumph of his club, Gyan has formally requested to be excused from the Liberia game.
As of now, coach Kwesi Appiah has not communicated his decision on whether Gyan will be exempted from the Liberia match. There are reports suggesting that Gyan might be granted permission to return to his club after the Malawi match in Accra Sports Stadium. However, he could face resistance as Kwesi Nyantakyi, the president of the Ghana Football Federation, emphasized the significance of the Liberia match for Ghana’s preparations. Nyantakyi stated on the official website of the federation that “this meeting should allow the Black Stars to prepare at the same time for the return match of the qualifiers against Malawi in Blantyre.”
Asamoah Gyan recently returned to the national team on August 15 in a friendly against China (1-1) after taking a break from international duty due to strong criticism following missed penalties in the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 CAN.
