Ghanaian midfielder Alfred Duncan has announced his retirement from the national team effective immediately.
The 29-year-old has accused the handlers of the national team of discrimination, disrespect and open bias which left him in the cold even when he was on top of his game and had availed his services to the country.
Duncan represented Ghana at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, made his Black Stars debut on November 14, 2012 against Cape Verde. Since that debut he has played in four AFCON qualifiers, two World Cup qualifiers and two international friendlies.
He wrote;
“The time has come to say goodbye to the national team. My heart is sad because I wanted to write a piece of history with the Ghanaian national team but they NEVER gave me the chance to prove it.
“When you are never considered and there is nothing you can do to change the situation, mentally it becomes more difficult. I have been humiliated, discriminated against and left aside for years even though I have tried to keep the doors open all the time. Unfortunately, I cannot continue to feel bad thinking about how I am being treated unfairly knowing that I have a clear conscience.
”Until a few years ago I was the Ghanaian player with the best performances and with the most appearances in the most prestigious leagues but I have never been considered enforce the national team. I recently turned down some invitations because I find it an insult to call me when it suits someone without considering my feeling as a human being who makes sacrifices in their work.”
”If years ago, when I was a Sassuolo player, I had a psychological trauma after travelling 15 hours to go to Washington for a friendly against Canada and then not play even a minute and I was the only player not to set foot on the field. It was a very difficult period for me and my family but thanks to my loved ones and the support of a psychologist I was able to overcome this too. I went through so many horrible moments precisely because of the national team, I overcame everything by myself and went on my way.”
“I found peace and happiness without thinking of being called up for the national team with the sole objective of giving the best to those who support me, consider me an important player and value me. For a player like me who has done a lot of training and has been playing in Serie A for 11 years, it’s incredible to have only 9 caps for the national team. A pure madness that has no justification. I do not accept being called up just because the Federation is pressured by the citizens and not because they recognize my value and what I can give to the national team.”
“The President of the Ghanaian federation, Kwesi Appiah, Avram Grant and CK Akonor know perfectly well what I mean and how they treated me. For the person that I am, I do not deserve everything they put me through and, for this reason, I put an end to a story that never began to have the peace and serenity that I deserve and to be able to continue working for Fiorentina, the team that I value and respects me for who I am and the passion I put into my daily work, Thank you! “
