Returnee Black Stars midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng says he reached an agreement with Coach Kwasi Appiah to exempt him from Ghana’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Zambia because of a sore knee which made it difficult for him to play on the hard pitch of the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.
Boateng’s highly-anticipated comeback after a two-year hiatus did not materialise as he reportedly failed a fitness test the night before the September 6 match, having sat out of training with a strapped knee alongside injury-suspect, Asamoah Gyan.
Boateng, who scored his first goal for new club, Schalke 04 against Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga last Saturday, explained in an interview with his club’s website (www.schalke04.de) that the hard nature of the pitch was a deciding factor for his inability to play in Ghana’s 2-1 win over the Chipolopolo.
“My knee didn’t feel quite right. The pitch wasn’t such a good surface to play on because it was a bit hard. That’s why the manager [Appiah] and I agreed that I would not play,” he said.
“Every footballer has his only little problems. I have a few slight issues with my knee. But it is nothing terrible. I feel great again now and have also trained well over the last few days. So there is no cause for concern.”
Boateng, who received wild applause from Kumasi fans as he carried the Ghana flag around the athletics tracks just before the match commenced, said he had “positive feelings” about his comeback.
“It was great. The team has changed a great deal. There are a lot of young players involved in the setup, just like here at Schalke.
“Of course, I had to start by getting to know everyone because I hadn’t been with the squad for a long time. I have definitely come back from my travels with very positive feelings.”
However, the midfielder was positive he would return fitter to feature for Ghana in the two-leg playoff next month to determine one of Africa’s five representatives for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Story: Maurice Quansah/Graphic Sports/Ghana
