Ghanaian midfielder, Bernard Mensah, has said he was hurt by how little playing time he got under CK Akonnor and added that he wasn’t given the chance to prove his worth.
The Kayserispor captain announced his premature exit from the Black Stars after featuring for Ghana in the international friendlies against Mali and Qatar in Turkey in 2020.
In an exclusive interview on Adom TV with Prof. EK Wallace, the midfielder said the lack of Black Stars playing time was the main reason why he retired prematurely from the Black Stars and he believes it is unfair.
“The moment I was handed Black Stars call-up, I was ready because most of the time I got a call-up, I didn’t get enough playing time because of pitches and some other things happening. I was really ready to play for the Black Stars but the way things went, I felt I needed to take a break from the national team and see what happens in the near future,” Mensah said.
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“Nothing really happened but every player has his opinion. When some players are called up to the national team and don’t play, they feel very happy, but this is not my opinion. My opinion is that when I’m handed a Black Stars call-up, I need to play.
“Every coach has players he uses for a different type of game, so when a coach doesn’t need me in a team, it’s better he doesn’t call me because I had a difficult time at my club due to injuries, so I felt representing the Black Stars would be the perfect time to regain my match fitness and fight for a position as well.
“But any time I come and I don’t get to play for the team, it worries me because I came to the Black Stars to play not to sit on the bench,” he said.
Asked if he will be ready to return to the Black Stars, he said he will hold a discussion with his management before a decision will be taken.
“I and my manager will talk about it (pre-mature Black Stars retirement) and see what’s best for me going forward. I wish all the Black Stars players the best of luck in their upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and I believe we will win,” he said.
Mensah is currently the best Ghanaian offensive midfielder in any of Europe’s top six leagues per his numbers. He has scored twice and assisted three times in five games for Kayserispor.