Kevin Prince Boateng - Milan-Brescia - Serie A (Getty Images)

The midfielder said that after having suffered six knee injuries and the same number of surgeries, it was prudent to focus exclusively on his club career
Former Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng has been explaining the details concerning his abrupt international football retirement.
The midfielder has spoken for the first time on his Ghana snub after he sent a statement to the west African FA revealing that he could no longer combine both club and national duties due to health reasons.

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"When I was at Borussia Dortmund, I could divide myself [between club and country]," he told Vanity Fair.

"But with AC Milan, between the Italian league, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, I am no more able to do this.”

The 24-year-old said his knee injury worsens whenever he has had to board flights and that has contributed to his decision to quit national duty.

"My knee has suffered six injuries and six surgeries. It gives me pain on flights due to pressure changes.

"So I have to say goodbye to Ghana because I am keen on my health," he added.

The former Portsmouth player shocked Ghanaian fans when he decided to hang up his international boots on November 4. He switched nationality to Ghana a few months before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

He has won nine caps with Ghana and scored a goal in the Round of 16 game against the USA at the global showpiece.

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Yaya Toure, Gervinho & Didier Drogba among nominees for 2011 Caf Player of the Year award

Ten foreign-based African players have been shortlisted for the 2011 Caf Player of the Year award with Manchester City's Yaya Toure touted as the favourite

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Caf has announced the nominees for the 2011 African Player of the Year awards.

The ten shortlisted players include four-time winner Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon, Ivory Coast duo Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure, Asamoah Gyan of Ghana and Morocco's Adel Taarabt.

Others are Ghana midfielders Andre Ayew and Kevin-Prince Boateng, Moussa Sow of Senegal, Mali's Seydou Keita and another Ivorian, Gervinho.

The nominees were revealed by Ghana FA president and Caf executive committee member, Kwesi Nyantakyi, in Accra.

The players were named based on their performances and contribution at club and national level during the year under review.

The eventual winner will be declared on December 22 in Ghana's capital, Accra, after the list has been pruned down to three. It will be the third time the Ghanaian capital will be hosting the annual event after 2006 and 2009.

For the first time, there are ten nominees for the African Player of the Year (based in Africa), contrary to the five for last year.

Namibia FA boss fumes at Caf 'delay'

Page last updated at 15:11 GMT, Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Namibia FA boss John Muinjo wants the spirit of fair play to prevail

The head of the Namibia FA says the Confederation of African Football must preserve "the spirit of fair play" in their dispute with Burkina Faso.

Namibia wants Burkina Faso thrown out of next year's African Cup of Nations finals for allegedly using an ineligible player in the qualifiers.

The Namibians contend that Burkina Faso's Herve Zengue does not meet Fifa's eligibility rules.

Should the Cameroon-born defender be found to be ineligible, Burkina Faso's place at the finals would be taken by Namibia.

But Caf outraged the Namibians last month when they dismissed their protest on a technicality, one which the southern Africans have now appealled against.

The appeal was heard in Cairo last week but there has been a deafening silence from the continental body's headquaters since.

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The most important thing for us is for justice to take place

John Muinjo President: Namibia FA

Namibia FA president John Muinjo told BBC Sport on Wednesday that he was unhappy with the delay and accused Caf of not acting in good faith.

"Up to now we haven't anything from them [Caf] and that's not in the spirit of fair play," said Muinjo.

"I'm a principled person and if principles are not being respected, then obviously I won't be happy with that.

"In my view the decision to dismiss our original protest was not a football but political decision."

Muinjo said the NFA is so convinced of the merits of its case that they will go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, sport's highest legal power, if need be.

"We're going to move on, and moving on means if the right decision doesn't come our way, then we're going for arbitration.

"The most important thing for us is for justice to take place, and to us it's a matter of principle, so it doesn't matter how long it's going to take.

"The fact of the matter is that we're prepared to go further and follow all the routes that will bring the right decision to the table."