Anthony Annan: Black Stars doctors’ lies ended my international career

According to Annan, the doctors claimed that he had sustained the injury while playing for his club, Osasuna, but he revealed that he hurt himself during a game against Egypt.

“At the time, I was playing for Osasuna in Spain. We had a tournament in South Africa (AFCON 2013), so we had to go camping. There is a thing in football where if a player is injured, the club will not release you for national assignment, so my presence in the Black Stars camp means that I was fit,” Annan said in an interview with Geomends Media.

Annan detailed the game in which he sustained the ankle injury, saying, “We played a friendly against Egypt a week before the tournament, and I was the captain. During the game, there was a situation where I had to jump and make a pass, and I ended up twisting my ankle when I landed.”

Although he didn’t think the injury was serious at first, Annan was unable to return to the game and was eventually diagnosed with a cracked bone. He received treatment, including injections and beach sand therapy, but was unable to fully recover.

As a result, Annan missed the rest of the tournament and was forced to retire from international football. He believes that the team doctors’ decision to lie about his injury cost him his salary for the second round of the season, as Schalke, his parent club, refused to pay him.

“The journalists kept asking when I was going to get ready, but I never got ready. The doctor had to lie to the journalist that it was an old injury. But if I had an injury, Osasuna wouldn’t have allowed me to join the Black Stars. That thing frustrated me because I was on loan at Osasuna from Schalke 04,” Annan explained.

Annan scored two goals in 62 appearances for Ghana.

He is currently based in Germany where he plays for lower tie side DJK Arminia Lirich.

Source:Fiilasports/ghanasoccernet