Former Black Stars and Hearts of Oak midfielder Anthony Annan has disclosed one of the difficult times of his life when his mother passed away.
It was at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, just before the Black Stars took on Tunisia in the quarterfinal, that he received a call from his pastor in Ghana, informing him of his mother’s demise.
He was broken after hearing the devastating news but insists he remained focused on his national duty and continued to play his heart out thanks to the support he received from his Black Stars teammates.
“It was a difficult situation. If I can remember, I was with John Paintsil when the call came. It was my pastor. He said he had something to tell me. He said, ‘It would be difficult to take, but I need you to be calm.’ So immediately he told me, I started crying. Then John took the phone from me, and I went to my room. I couldn’t do anything., so the players came around to comfort me.”
“Pablo Aimar,” as he is popularly known, helped Ghana defeat Tunisia in the semifinals but unfortunately lost to a resilient Zambia side in the semifinals before the disappointing loss to Mali in the 3rd and 4th place tie, Malabo, after making a decision to stay and fight for his country during a time of solitude after training.
“After training, I used to sit alone on the field and think. It was through the thinking period that I decided that although my mom had died, I came to work and work was not done. Me leaving wouldn’t rescue her, so I need to play for my country.
