Ghana midfielder Daniel-Kofi Kyereh has admitted that he seriously considered retirement during his prolonged injury absence, revealing the mental and physical toll of his long recovery journey.
Kyereh, who made his Black Stars debut in 2021, suffered a major anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2022 that kept him out of action for nearly three years.
Speaking in a revealing interview with Joy Sports, the midfielder opened up on the dark moments of his rehabilitation period.
“To be honest, I was fighting against those thoughts (of retirement). The truth is that they came up here and there, especially during these difficult setbacks,” he said.
Kyereh first underwent surgery in February 2023 to repair the ligament damage, but his comeback plans were disrupted when he suffered another setback a year later, requiring further surgery.
The repeated setbacks left him stuck in a difficult cycle of recovery.
“I was going two steps ahead and one back. There were definitely times when it came to my mind, but I was not allowing such thoughts to stay beyond a few seconds,” he added.
The Ghana international eventually began returning to action in late 2025, first joining partial team training before fully rejoining group sessions in January 2026.
He has since made five appearances for SC Freiburg’s reserve side after regaining full fitness in April 2026, marking a significant step in his long road back to competitive football.
