Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu retires from international football

Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has announced his retirement from international football.

The 30-year-old, who currently plies his club trade with Italian Serie A side Hellas Viona, has featured for the Black Stars for 12 years.

Badu was part of the Ghana squad that won silver in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and went on to appear in the 2012 and 2013 editions of the tournament.

He also featured as a youth international and he will be remembered for his winning goal which gave Ghana the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup trophy.

Badu has been out of the Ghana selection for the past three years mainly after he was diagnosed with pulmonary microembolism.

His glittering career saw Badu featured for Ghanaian sides Berekum Chelsea and Asante Kotoko before moving to Europe where he turned for Spanish outfit Recreativo Huelva before joining the Black and Whites.

Bad’s statement:

“Although it’s been a while I’ve been out of the national team, I’m here today to say the nation has been very excellent to me throughout my career with the national team.

”On this day after talking to my family and loved ones, I think it’s time to officially retired from the national team.

”I’ve tried several times to win the African Cup of Nations [Afcon] for the nation after winning U-20 AFCON and World Cup.

“We came close twice, but it’s a bit disappointing that we couldn’t win it.

”I, however, believe my colleagues who are now in the national team will do that for us in the coming years.’

“Thank you and God bless us all.”