Only two things prevent Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan from being considered one of the great African players of his generation.
The first is his decision to withdraw his talents from the world's biggest leagues at the age of 25, launching a seven-year sojourn in the lucrative United Arab Emirates and Chinese competitions, before a move to Turkey in 2017.
While these peak years were trophy-laden -- Gyan won three UAE Pro League titles, the Arab Gulf Super Cup in 2012 and the UAE President's Cup two years later -- they denied the forward the opportunity to test himself consistently against the world's best defences, or to compete for the game's grandest prizes.
The second, and still fixable, gaping hole in the striker's resumè is his inability to get Ghana over the line at the Africa Cup of Nations, in which tournament he's competed six times but failed to bring home the gold.
At 33, the 2019 tournament in Egypt represents perhaps his final opportunity to bolster his legacy with major silverware. Yet, with less than two months to go, there are major doubts about whether he will be part of the Black Stars' campaign at all.
The striker hasn't featured for the national side since September 2017, in the 1-1 home draw against Congo-Brazzaville that all but signalled the end of the West Africans' hopes of qualifying for the World Cup in Russia.
An injury sustained in Kumasi kept Gyan out of the return bout -- a 5-1 rout for the Black Stars -- and he hasn't been seen in Ghana gear since.
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