Inaki Williams Announces Retirement From Ghana's Black Stars
Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams has ended his four-year international career with Ghana, calling time on his spell with the Black Stars in a social media statement on Friday.
Williams Steps Away After Four Years With The Black Stars
Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams announced his retirement from international football with Ghana on Friday, bringing an end to a four-year spell with the Black Stars that began when he switched allegiance from Spain in 2022. The 32-year-old, born in Bilbao to parents from Ghana, had previously made one senior appearance for Spain in a 2016 friendly before completing the switch and making his Ghana debut in June 2022. He went on to earn 28 caps for Ghana, scoring twice: his first goal arrived in November 2023, when Ghana beat Madagascar 1-0 in World Cup qualifying, and the second came in a qualifier against Chad for this year's tournament.
A Career That Spanned Two World Cups And An AFCON
Williams represented Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire, tournaments in which the Black Stars were both times eliminated at the group stage. He was in the squad again at this year's World Cup, where Ghana reached the knockout rounds for the first time since 2010 before being beaten 1-0 by Colombia in the round of 32. Those were his last matches for the national team, against England and then Colombia, totalling 126 minutes on the pitch.
Williams Reflects On What Representing Ghana Meant To Him
In his statement, Williams said the time had come to close this chapter of his career. "I feel the time has come to bring my journey with the Ghana national team to an end," he said. "I leave happy, proud and with the peace of mind of knowing that I gave everything every time I wore this shirt." He said representing Ghana had given him more than just football, describing it as a chance to reconnect with his roots: "It has allowed me to come back home, feel even closer to my roots and experience the enormous pride of representing my country and wearing this flag on my chest." He thanked those who had supported him throughout his time with the team and said he would keep following the Black Stars, closing his message in Twi: "Ghana will always be a part of me. I will continue supporting the Black Stars as one of you, wherever I am. Medaase. Always Ghana."