CAIRO: Ahly’s Liberian striker Francis Doe said on Thursday he was quitting international football.
The 25-year-old decided to hang up his international boots to concentrate on his club career, which he believes was heavily affected by his repeated late returns from international duty.
Doe said Ahly fined him $26,000 recently for failing to return to the club in time after being expelled by Liberia for breaking the training camp regulations.
"I think this problem is appearing to take my job away. I lost my job with Minnesota Thunders and DC United for returning late after national duty," Goal.com’s English version quoted Doe as saying.
"Speaking here today I think this is a decision I wanted to take couple of months ago but the suspension caused me to wait until it had being lifted.
"So now that I am back in the team, I am declaring from the depth of my heart that I am quitting the Lone Star to concentrate on my club career."
Best Moment
Doe, who earned nine caps with Liberia, took part in his team’s 2006 World Cup and 2008 African Cup of Nations qualification campaigns.
He joined Ahly in the summer of 2009 but struggled to win over the Red Devils’ faithful in his first season with the club.
He was given a new lease of life this term after producing a couple of fine displays in Ahly’s Egyptian Premier League win over Military Production and the 2-1 victory over Tunisia’s Esperance in the first leg of the Champions League semi final.
"Playing for Ahly is the best moment I ever enjoyed in my career and I don’t want to lose it," Doe added.
"Ahly had told me that I need to be very careful or else they are prepared to let me go.
"I am sorry I cannot revisit this (retirement) decision because this is a situation I cannot handle. I am fathering four children and I must build their future through this job I am doing."
Doe will miss Ahly’s clash away to Esperance on Sunday in the second leg of the Champions League due to a hamstring injury.
