Christian Kwesi Annan: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t

Christian Kwesi Annan has a jersey for life.

What he said:

“I am saving it for life. I’m not going to trade it for anything. I’m going to frame it, put it on the wall and then treasure it.”

Hong Kong may have been trounced 7-0 by Argentina in a friendly but Ghanaian-born forward Christian Kwesi Annan is far from unhappy.

The striker swapped shirts with Lionel Messi at the end of the game.

Lionel Messi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Annan said:

“He (Lionel Messi) said I am the best player in my team, and asked to exchange jerseys with me.It feels amazing. I have a lot of respect for him. I tried to challenge him and couldn’t get the ball from him. He is very pacey.

Watching Messi on TV you think it’s easy to take the ball from him but it is impossible [in reality]. He has quick feet.”

What he really meant:

“Lionel is the best footballer on the planet. I’ll treasure his shirt more than any goals I score. He’s an inspiration and his jersey is mine. Now I can always visualize myself doing a Messi. I’ll build a new wall too if I have to.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I wish I had bought tickets for the game and watched it from the sidelines. That way I could have enjoyed his play without having to run around chasing him, his team-mates and the ball.”