AS Roma kid Afena-Gyan to decline Black Stars AFCON call-up

• Ghana Black Stars Coach, Milovan Rajevac named his 30-man squad for January 2022's African Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday, December, 21, 2021
• The Serbian included AS Roma teenager Felix Afena-Gyan in his provisional squad list for next-months continental showpiece to be staged in Cameroon
• Sportsbrief.com analysis and checks suggest the 18-year-old just like he did when he was called up for the Black Stars FIFA World cup qualifiers, might decline the call-up

According to Sportbrief.com checks and analysis, the chances are that AS Roma's teenage sensation, Felix Afena-Gyan, would in all likelihood decline the Black Stars call up.

Afena-Gyan turned down the invitation citing a desire to continue his development under Jose Mourinho at AS Roma, and still having to wait on his first 90 minutes outing for AS Roma, chances are that is still his priority.

So if Afena-Gyan indeed turns down the AFCON call-up, it would not be the first time he had snubbed a national team call-up as he earlier last month, declined a call-up for Ghana's FIFA World cup games.

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“I thought it was important for me to stay in Trigoria to accumulate training under Mourinho’s orders to continue improving and growing,” Afena said about declining the Black Stars call-up the first time around.

Sportsbrief.com reasoning behind the claim

Aside that, given the fact that Afena-Gyan will be competing for minutes with the likes of Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jordan Ayew, and Issahaku Fatawu when he turns up for the Black Stars.

Another thing that was really telling about Afena-Gyan's intentions about his maiden Black Stars call-up was his silence after the squad was announced on Tuesday, with his last post on Twitter being a retweet of a tweet by @AwuaAhmed, and on Instagram, a post about him testing negative for covid-19 both on December 18, and 10, respectively.

Unlike the other debutants and first timers included the Black Stars AFCON squad, Afena-Gyan did not take to any of his social media handles to express his "happiness or otherwise" about the call-up.

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What has been said after the squad announcement about Afena-Gyan

Veteran Sports Journalist, Saddick Adams, said on Wednesday, a day after the revealing of the squad, that he had been reliably informed that the 18-year-old Ghanaian forward would "95% stay at AS Roma".

"I'm reliably informed that Roma youngster Felix Afena Gyan is highly unlikely to play at the Afcon in Cameroon. The player is 95% staying at Roma atm and GFA are aware.

"No replacement will be invited. Ghana begins pre-Afcon camping in Doha, Qatar from tomorrow, 22nd December", Saddick Adams tweeted.

One Elvis tweeted;

"Are we sure Felix Afena Gyan will come play? We have included him without fully knowing whether he will play or not, lmao".

Another sports reporter, Dennis Mirpuri, tweeted;

"Afena Gyan won't be playing at AFCON and the GFA knows? Wishful thinkers..Rolling on the floor laughing #AFCON2021".

Black Stars Coach, Milovan Rajevac on the other hand, has said he would be expecting Felix Afena-Gyan to honor the call-up this time around as he had earned it by "showing potential".

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“Felix Afena-Gyan is on the list because he’s showing potential and he’s trying to establish himself in his club and we want to have him here, so we will see what is going to happen.

"This is a chance for him to get to know the others, to understand the requirements and become the part of the Black Stars so he is on the list. We expect him to come”, Milovan was translated to have said at the press conference for the squad announcement.

Coach Milo invited 5 Ghana Premier League players

Head coach of the Black Stars, Milovan Rajevac has included five Ghana-based players in his 30-man provisional squad for AFCON 2021.

Regular invitees Richard Attah, Philemon Baffuor and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku have been joined by David Abagna and Maxwell Abbey Quaye.