Agyemang-Badu denies criticising Kwesi Appiah

Turkey-based Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has angrily rejected 'unprofessional' media reports that he has launched a veiled attack on Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah for 'retiring' him from the Black Stars, insisting he supports the coach to guide the side to success.

The Bursaspor star player says coach Appiah is spot on with his choice of players for the national team revealing that he supports the decisions of the coach.

Badu added that the national team does not belong to him to warrant call-ups all the time and that he is duty-bound to support the side to secure qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

He lambasted the media as 'fickle liars' for the inferences made on his Instagram posting 'you can't retire the King' urging the perpetrator or journalist to 'stop this deceitful character'.

Badu, who had been an ever-present figure in the Black Stars for seven years, was axed from Appiah's team in his second stint in charge of the Ghana national team.

The midfielder, who is normally refered to as 'Nana' which means King was not part of the squad when they defeated Ethiopia 5-0 in the 2019 AFCON qualifier in Kumasi in June.

The match in Kumasi was the first for Appiah since taking over from Israeli coach Avram Grant for his second stint in charge of the senior national team.

Badu's posting on his Instagram page that 'You can't retire the King' has been widely seen by the Ghanaian media as a disguised attack on Kwesi Appiah.

However, the midfielder who is in blistering form for Turkish side Bursaspor, has angrily rejected the reports saying it was a mere joke with a childhood friend and not trolling the Black Stars coach.

"My attention has been drawn to an unprofessional article about me circulating on social media," the Bursaspor midfielder wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday morning.

"It was a mere instagram joke with a friend called Enoch who has even posted a comment on the pic. I will entreat everyone to disregard such fickle liars.

"The national team is not for Agyeman Badu and whoever is called deserves to be there.

"Lets focus on winning our matches and stop this deceitful character. Long Live Black Stars. Long Live Ghana," Badu added.

Badu has bee in great form for his new side Bursaspor scoring in his debut in a dramatic 3-2 win for his side.

Badu is among three key players excluded from the Black Stars since Appiah took over from Avram Grant for his second stint in charge of the national team.

Mubarak Wakaso and goalkeeper Razak Brimah are the two other players who have been left out of the squad since Appiah's return as the Black Stars coach.

Even though not clear reason has been given for their exclusion several Ghana FA officials said the decision was to given other players the chance to impress and the trio would return