The ex-FC Schalke 04 frontman, who is becoming a cult figure at the Huvepharma Arena, is furious about his continuous omission from the senior national team by the nation's football governing body over international assignments for far too long
Ghana international striker Bernard Tekpetey has voiced his frustration at the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for his continuous Black Stars call-up snubs given his consistent performances with clubs across Europe so far in his footballing career.
The 29-year-old, who has been on an impressive run of form with Bulgarian First League side Ludogorets, believes his lack of invitation to the national team could be down to grand machinations within the GFA as he insists his then breakthrough season with SC Paderborn in the 2.Bundesliga should have served as enough grounds to lead him into the four-time African Champions setup over international duties during the 2018/19 season.
Speaking in an interview with Kumasi-based sport journalist Perry Paisley, the former Fortuna Düsseldorf man pulled no punches at expressing his frustration over his continuous exclusion from the Black Stars squad spanning over a decade.
He said: ''lt's all about the kind of call-up that they [Ghana FA] are calling. They've their own ideas and whatever they've that they want to call. But for me, l just hold my zeal in terms of life. Sometimes you could say, that was not the moment that one needs to...or better put, that your time is not due. No, lt's not about that as that one is not true.
''Because if it's not my time to be called, then why did they call me when l was 18? And when l came, l came to prove to the Ghanaians like l can do it. So, why they didn't call me after that. l've been constant after the national team, l've been constant.
''Okay; so after the national team, l went to SC Paderborne and l had the best season ever, scoring how many goals? 10 goals and 8 assists and l still couldn't find my way back to the national team.
''So, you could understand that, the national team is in a form of different organisation or different mentality. l'm not going to talk or even attach somebody to it. But per their call-ups and how they're calling players is up to them.
''For them to even feel like they called this player and this player is not ready to come and you're playing just imagine; let us say you're playing in Europe and you're playing in the Champions League or Europa League, you're scoring, you're making assists, and all of a sudden a national team comes up and they don't call you and they go and call somebody from Slovakia or Cyprus or Czech Republic to come and play ahead of you, even with zero goals, zero assists, how would you feel ? You would feel very bad.''
''But you know, sometimes you just have to close your eyes because you're not playing because of the national team. You're playing in your club because you want to excel, you want make yourself very proud, you want to take care of your family and you want to make sure everything is good for yourself.''
He has so far won 2 caps for the Ghana national football team, the Black Stars at the international level, with his debut coming from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations against Egypt on January 25.
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