George Alhassan, a two-time champion of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), has expressed remorse for opting to represent Ghana instead of Burkina Faso.
Alhassan, who proudly donned the Black Stars jersey for more than a decade and contributed to their AFCON triumphs in 1978 and 1982, now reveals his inner regret over his decision.
Despite being born in Ghana, Alhassan had the opportunity to play for Burkina Faso based on his father’s heritage. He has disclosed that he laments not choosing to play for his father’s homeland, citing unfulfilled assurances made to him and his fellow AFCON-winning teammates as the basis for his sentiment.
In his own words, Alhassan stated, regret not playing for Burkina Faso. Originally, I come from Burkina Faso, same as my dad but I was born in Ghana and that was how I stayed here and became a Ghanaian,” Alhassan told Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV.
He continued, “It remains one of my greatest regrets because I even scored in a game against Burkina Faso. Yes, there are issues but I prefer to remain mute because what we achieved for Ghana, none of our promises were fulfilled.
Alhassan commenced his football journey at Accra Great Olympics, emerging as the top scorer of the Ghana Premier League on two occasions. He subsequently ventured abroad, joining Gabon’s FC 105. Notably, he also pursued his football career in South Korea, representing K-League 1 outfit Hyundai Horangi.
During his time representing Ghana, Alhassan made notable appearances in multiple AFCON tournaments, clinching the championship twice and even securing the top scorer title in the 1982 edition.