Grieving Kuffour puts international future on hold

MUNICH, Germany -- Bayern Munich's Ghanaian defender Sammy Kuffour said Thursday that he was putting his international future on hold for family reasons and will not play in the tournament in Tunisia from March 27-29.

"I think that I won't play in these matches.

At the moment I'm focusing on my family," said Kuffour, whose 15-month-old daughter drowned last January.

Kuffour, who has 52 caps for the national side, was sidelined from the 2002 African Nations Cup by then coach Fred Osam Duodu for lack of discipline, but is favoured for a call-up by their new German coach Burkhard Ziese.

"There will be two qualification matches in June and if things are better regarding my family I could play," said the 26-year-old Kuffour.

Kuffour had criticised the new coach for not getting in touch with him after his bereavement. "People have to talk to me. It would be normal for the coach to phone me and not just send a simple fax," added the defender.