Former Ghana midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, has weighed in on Otto Addo’s decision to exclude Andre Ayew from the national team squad.
Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers’ against Mali and Central African Republic (CAR), the Le Havre attacker, who is the captain of the senior national team was notably missing from the 26-man roster released by Otto Addo, sparking criticism from football enthusiasts.
However, Agyemang-Badu, a former U-20 World Cup victor, stresses the importance of respecting Addo’s authority as head coach.
“Otto Addo explained why Andre Ayew was not in the squad but we don’t if Andre will return to the squad in subsequent games,” he said in an interview on Asempa FM on the Ultimate Sports Show.
“Otto Addo has been given the mandate as the head coach of the Black Stars so his decision to drop Andre Ayew from the squad must be respected.
“Andre Ayew is still the captain of the team but Otto Addo has decided that he will not play these two games and we must respect that because if he fails, the head coach will be sacked so we must believe in the decisions and judgement of Otto Addo,” he added.
Ghana, despite Ayew’s omission, secured hard-fought victories, defeating Mali 2-1 in Bamako and triumphing 4-3 against Central African Republic at the Baba Yara Stadium.
These wins propel the Black Stars to second place in Group I, boasting nine points from four games.
Black Stars’ next qualifying matches are scheduled for March 2025 against Chad and Madagascar.