In December 2020, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, one of Ghana’s most loyal midfield generals, stunned the football community with what many thought was his retirement from football.
The announcement spread like wildfire across the media, leaving fans heartbroken that a career which had thrilled Ghanaians on the international stage was over at just 30.
After 78 appearances for the Black Stars, a FIFA World Cup appearance, five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, and the unforgettable heroics of the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he felt the time was right to step away from the national team.
However, what the former Hellas Verona man actually announced was his retirement from international football, not from the game entirely.
Emmanuel Agyemang Badu retires from international football
Speaking during an interview on Joy Prime on Monday, August 25, 2025, the former Black Stars midfielder revealed he had only meant to draw the curtain on his international career and focus on prolonging his club career.
“In as much as I wanted to be in football for the national team, I thought I could put it on hold and concentrate on club football. So, I wrote a letter of retirement from the national team, but unfortunately, it was merged with my decision to stop playing football. That was how everybody saw the headline and the stories,” he said.
In truth, Badu carried on playing after 2020, turning out briefly for Qingdao FC in China before signing for Accra Great Olympics. Eventually, with contracts not meeting his expectations, he quietly hung up his boots.
But by then, the “retired footballer” label had long been stamped on him.
With injuries taking their toll and Agyemang-Badu sensing his playing days were nearing the end, he improvised, enrolling in football courses in the UK to prepare for life beyond the pitch.
“I wanted to concentrate on club football. Unfortunately, I didn’t get lots of contract I wanted so I was like let me hang in there and do something within football. So, I did a course on talent identification and analysis in football in the UK. I have the certificates, and gradually I started punditry,” he added.
FKA/EB
GhanaWeb’s latest documentary, Sex for Fish, that explores the plights of teenage girls in coastal communities, all in an attempt to survive, is out. Watch it below:
