The former Chelsea midfielder is said to have lost more than a million followers on Twitter following his public support and recognition of people who are LGBT – an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.
The powerful midfielder scored 25 goals in over 250 appearances for the English club where he won eight major trophies during a successful nine-year stint.
Essien has since deleted the Instagram post he made to support the LGBT community who are campaigning for acceptance in Ghana but majority of Ghanaians have vowed never to welcome them and so the public support of Michael Essien generated a significant backlash.
He continues to lose more followers – who he has earned from every corner of the globe thanks to his football club that took him to France, Engand, Spain and Italy.
But do you think this backlash against the former Liberty Professionals player will affect his greatness in African football?
Let us hear you in the comment section.