Former Ghanaian football captain Asamoah Gyan has responded to his ex-teammate Kevin-Prince Boateng’s recent claims about the Ghana national team’s lack of support during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. In a candid interview with Vibe with Five, Boateng detailed his challenging experience during the tournament and his expulsion from the team alongside Sulley Muntari.
Boateng explained that he and Muntari had stood in solidarity with their teammates, who they believed were not being treated fairly by Ghana Football Association officials. However, he expressed disappointment that his fellow players did not come to his aid when he was served a notice to leave the team camp on the eve of a crucial match against Portugal.
Responding to these claims on social media, Asamoah Gyan, who was the team captain at the time, clarified that the team had indeed supported Boateng behind the scenes on multiple occasions. However, he noted that the incident that led to Boateng’s expulsion occurred during a confrontation between Boateng and the coach in front of everyone at the training grounds. Gyan explained that the coach, Kwesi Appiah, felt disrespected by Boateng’s choice of words, leading to his decision to remove him from the team.
Gyan emphasized that Kevin’s expulsion was ultimately the coach’s decision and revealed that it was the first time he had seen Coach Kwesi Appiah express anger and react in such a manner.
Despite the controversy, Ghana went on to lose their final group stage match against Portugal, marking the end of their campaign in the 2014 World Cup, which was their third appearance on the global stage.