Asamoah Gyan is hopeful of securing a place in Ghana’s squad to the Qatar 2022 World Cup in November and December.
The striker’s return to the Black Stars would be a massive shock as he is not only 36 going on 37, he has also not played competitive football since 2021, when he looked out of shape as he featured for Ghanaian club Legon City.
Gyan, who has won 107 caps for Ghana and has featured in three World Cups, however believes his experience will be useful for the Black Stars and he can get back in proper shape.
“Talent wise, everything is there already, so I just have to prepare physically,” Gyan, who made his last Black Stars appearance in 2019, said in an interview with the BBC World Service aired today.
“The World Cup is every footballer’s dream. I think I’ve got a bit of energy left in me to prove myself once again.
“I’ve been out for almost two years now due to injuries but I just need to get my body back in shape. It’s an eight-week programme and according to my physical instructor I’m improving faster than he thought.
“Then I must see how my body reacts to playing competitive football.”
The former Rennes and Sunderland striker, who is Africa’s all-time World Cup top scorer with six goals, insists that his age will not be a problem in Qatar if Black Stars head coach Otto Addo were to consider him.
Gyan is his country’s all-time top scorer with 51 goals in total, and played in all of the Black Stars’ World Cup appearances in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
He is hoping to emulate Cameroon legend Roger Milla, who came out of international retirement at 38 to star in the 1990 World Cup in Italy, scoring four goals as the Indomitable Lions became the first African team to reach the quarter-finals.
Milla also featured in the 1994 in the United States of America at the age of 42 , scoring once as Cameroon crashed out in the group stages.
“I haven’t announced my retirement,” Gyan noted. “Anything can happen, you know. It’s happened before, talking about Cameroon in 1994, with Roger Milla coming back from retirement to play in a World Cup.”
However, Gyan has not sounded out Addo, who was initially drafted in to coach the team in the World Cup playoffs, where they defeated the Super Eagles to earn the ticket to Qatar.
“Honestly I haven’t spoken to anybody at all,” Gyan admitted.
“It’s part of the plan. I just want to make sure I see how my body reacts first. I just need to get to some level and then I can say I’m ready.
“Everything looks positive, so we’ll see what happens. There might be a surprise.”
Gyan is keen for revenge against Uruguay who are in Ghana’s group in Qatar.
The South Americans knocked Ghana out of the 2010 World Cup in the quarter-finals in dramatic circumstances after Gyan missed a last-gasp penalty following Luis Suarez’s handball on the goal line that resulted in a red card.
“The whole world knows what happened,” Gyan added. “When the draw was made and they saw Uruguay in Ghana’s group [in Qatar] the only thing that came into mind was revenge. Ghanaians want revenge.
“Personally, I just sat back and smiled because I understand how the game goes. What happened in 2010 is behind me [but] maybe there might be another opportunity.”
