Former Black Queens Captain, Adjoa Bayor has called time off her international career after Ghana’s group phase exit at the on-going 7th African Women Championship (AWC) in South Africa. Bayor, the most capped player in the team that lost to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea to exit in the South Africa competition is expected to make public her decision in the ensuing days baring any last minute change of heart.
The GNA Sports can confirm that the creative player’s mind is made but will consult her manager and family before officially announcing the decision.
The decision is to allow Bayor who joined FF USV Jena in Germany in 2009 concentrate on her club career.
Bayor, 31 captained the Queens to glory many times and wore the skipper’s band at the last World Cup in China in 2007.
Although Ghana did not get out of the group stage in China, Bayor scored a remarkable goal from a free kick just outside Norway's penalty area.
In South Africa however, she was confined to the bench where she played all three Group games against Algeria, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea as a second half substitute.
Although outwardly shy and reticent, there is nothing withdrawn about the footballing approach of Bayor who has played at three FIFA World Cups.
Bayor is among the handful of Ghanaian women who have been given the opportunity to play outside the country with a brief spell at Robert Morris College in Illinois before signing for big guns FC Indiana in the United States' Women's Premier Soccer League in 2006.
Her performance for the Queens at the FIFA Women's World Cup in USA 2003 helped her to the title of Africa's best player to become the second Ghanaian to win the award, after team-mate Alberta Sackey won a year before.
Bayor with over 70 caps has been among the three finalists for the annual award on two occasions.
Indeed, in both 2004 and 2006 she was one of the forerunners for the prestigious honour.
The gifted midfielder showed marked improvement at the 2003 finals where Ghana recorded her first FIFA Women's World Cup finals win with a 2-1 victory over Australia in the group stages in a game she won an award as player of the match.