Gyan: Our focus is to lift the cup

Ghana captain, Asamoah Gyan, is hoping to lead the Black Stars to victory in the Africa Cup of Nations starting on Saturday in Equatorial Guinea.

After a self-imposed exile from the national team, the 29-year-old returned to captain his country and he is eager to lead them to a long-awaited fifth title – their first since 1982.

“Our main focus is to lift the cup. It is not all about me but it is all about the team. Even if I don’t get the tournament I want and Ghana wins the cup I will be proud. That is what we are preparing for,” he told BBC Sport.

Ghana have been handed a tough draw for the tournament in Group C with Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa but even that has not shaken Gyan’s confidence.

“All three countries in our group are in very good form. South Africa did not lose a single game and Algeria have been very, very good. They are all looking great and that will make the tournament very difficult for us but we are confident.

“We are going to Equatorial Guinea to win the trophy. It is the attitude we go to every tournament with. It is always as simple as that. A lot will depend on us, the players, and hopefully we can make things easy for the new coach,” he said.