Asamoah explains choice of German team

Gerald Asamoah, a Ghanaian soccer international based in Germany said in Accra that he opted for the German national team because of poor reception given to him by Ghanaian officials on his first invitation.

He said, he was frustrated and felt unwanted even among his own countrymen on his first invitation to feature for the Black Stars a couple of months ago.

Asamoah was explaining why he opted for the German national team after several appeals from the Ghana Football Association and some concerned Ghanaians.

He said, when he joined the Black Stars in camp, for his first assignment, no official or the coach, Giusseppe Dossena, ever spoke with him; not even after the match and he felt he was not wanted. "It appeared to me I was being imposed on the team."

Asamoah, known in Germany as "Blondy" said an hour before the match, he contacted the skipper, Charles Akonnor, whether the line-up for the match was ready, and he was told it was not ready.

He said he found this quite unusual because back in Germany, even four hours before kick off, the final list of players to feature is made known.

The player said to his astonishment, he found some of his colleagues in tracksuits while he was not given any, and when he asked for one he was told to wait.

He said he later found out that those in the tracksuit have been selected to play.

Asamoah said he found the whole scenario very disturbing and it appeared as if something was being hidden from him.

He said he was then hoping that at least someone could approach him to explain things to him after the match, but that never happened.

Asamoah said before he was invited to play for the Stars, the Germans had been pursuing him, so with the experience he encountered in Ghana, he decided to opt for the German national team.

When asked whether he regrets having taken that decision, he answered in the affirmative, but said it could be a way of marketing Ghana.

Since joining the Germans, Asamoah has featured once in an international friendly and has scored a goal