Former Chelsea star Michael Essien has explained why he decided not to take a coaching job with the Ghana national team.
The former Black Stars midfielder was offered the assistant coach position last year following Chris Hughton's departure, but he revealed he was not ready.
The Ghana Football Association then went on to appoint John Paintsil and Joseph Laumann as the Black Stars' assistant.
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"I would not say I refused but I was just not ready for that job," Essien told Sporty FM.
"I was approached by Otto Addo and the president [Kurt Okraku] but I felt I was not ready."
Essien also urged supporters to move on from the Black Stars' failure to qualify for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations.
"I would say I was surprised we didn't make it to the AFCON, but there's a whole lot going on with the Black Stars," Essien said as per Morden Ghana.com.
"It is sad but we have to move on. What has happened has happened, and sometimes it's better not to qualify than to just add to the numbers.
"If you qualify, you have to compete."
