Asamoah Gyan: “The AFCON is our World Cup.”

Ghana’s former football icon, Asamoah Gyan, has stressed the crucial importance of the Africa Cup of Nations for African players, while calling for a rethink of its schedule, perceived as penalizing for European clubs.

As a Ghanaian football icon, Asamoah Gyan did not miss the chance to remind people of the symbolic and sporting weight of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), which he does not hesitate to compare to a World Cup for African players. Often criticized for its schedule, regularly staged in the heart of the European season, the CAN continues to spark debate. Invited to speak with Rio Ferdinand, the former Ghana international who has played in several editions of the tournament, he gave a blunt testimony.
“The Africa Cup of Nations is like a World Cup to me”, he said.

Having also played for Sunderland, Asamoah Gyan called for a revamp of the tournament’s calendar, urging the bodies to consider hosting it during the European off-season.
“I’ve been thinking about this for years. It concerns the majority of clubs that employ African players. It may be time for FIFA or CAF to decide to play these matches out of season”, he explained.

Gyan also stressed the sporting consequences for clubs, often deprived of key players in January. We see teams at the top of the league lose players to the CAN and, in the wake, valuable points. But for us, the CAN is a World Cup. That’s how all African footballers see it, he added.

Ghana’s all-time top scorer, Asamoah Gyan, has played in two CAN finals, in 2010 against Egypt and in 2015 against Ivory Coast, without lifting the trophy. CAN 2025 will conclude on Sunday, January 18, with a highly anticipated final between Morocco and Senegal.