Fiorentina ace Duncan unhappy by out-of-position Ghana roles

BetOdds African All Stars Ghana Sassuolo Serie A Alfred Duncan Fiorentina Africa Cup of Nations

The 27-year-old speaks on his level of performance in the national shirt

Ghana midfielder Alfred Joseph Duncan believes his output for the national team has been affected by unfamiliar roles assigned to him in games.

The Fiorentina man has been criticised for below-par performances when on international duty as compared to his explosive performances at club level.

On his last appearance for the Black Stars, the central midfielder was deployed wide, culminating in an underwhelming showing in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa in November last year.

"It’s something people have noticed from a distance," Duncan told Citi TV.

"When you watch me in my club and see the kind of contribution I make, you’d notice there’s a difference.

"I’ve been made to understand that I must be able to adapt to any role required in order to help the team.

“But sometimes it’s very frustrating when you’re asked to play a role you’re not used to. You don’t get to enjoy the game in the way you want.

"I’m a player who loves to get a lot of touches on the ball, so it becomes problematic when I’m deployed in a role that doesn’t allow me to do that."

After the underwhelming performance against South Africa, Duncan was left on the bench as the Black Stars faced Sao Tome and Principe four days later.

He was, nonetheless, called up for a doubleheader of games against Sudan in March but the matches were later postponed due to the coronavirus disruptions.

He would hope to earn an invitation when the Black Stars assemble for their next round of fixtures in October.

Last year, he missed the Afcon final in Egypt as he sought permission from Ghana’s officials to be excused for the tournament to enable him to undergo surgery on a persistent ankle problem.He similarly missed the 2017 gathering due to injury.

Duncan first represented Ghana at youth level, playing for the West Africans at the 2013 Fifa U20 World Cup in New Zealand.

At club level, the 27-year-old has made 15 appearances in Serie A this season, scoring once and providing five assists.

The former Inter Milan man joined Fiorentina from Sassuolo in January.

2020-06-15 23:00:02

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