Michael Essien reflects on unlucky Black Stars era: "It still hurts"

Former Ghana international Michael Essien believes the Black Stars were unfortunate not to win a major trophy during his time with the national team.

Essien, who had an illustrious career with the Black Stars from 2002 to 2012, retired from international football after an impactful tenure.

The former Chelsea midfielder was part of the Ghana squad that reached the semifinals of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as the final of the 2010 edition, where they were ultimately defeated by Egypt.

Essien admits that it still “hurts” to think about the fact that the team was unable to secure any silverware during his time with the national side

“Yes, [it hurts that we didn’t win a trophy] because we were so unlucky with the AFCON 2008. We got so close, but it didn’t happen,” he told Sporty FM.

“We would have loved to win something for the nation, but it didn’t happen, and we had to move on.”

Essien was a physically strong midfielder, often deployed in a central role. Renowned for his box-to-box ability, he was praised for his energy and contributions to both offensive and defensive play.

His powerful and aggressive tackling style earned him the nickname “The Bison.”

Essien helped Chelsea win the Premier League in 2006 and 2010, as well as three FA Cups and one League Cup

In addition to his midfield prowess, Essien was versatile enough to play as a defender, both at right-back and centre-back.

Along with his work rate, physicality, and defensive attributes, he also possessed excellent technique, vision, tactical intelligence, and leadership qualities.

Furthermore, Essien was known for being a powerful striker of the ball from a distance.