Hearts of Oak legend, Charles Taylor, has alleged that Andre Ayew did not travel with the Black Stars squad to Angola for the return leg in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] qualifiers because he was benched in the first leg in Kumasi.
Ghana hosted Angola in the first leg of the qualifier and recorded a 1-0 win with Antoine Semenyo scoring in the 96th minute to secure the three points.
Andre Ayew, who is the captain of the side, was not part of the squad for the game but after the game, head coach, Chris Hughton, stated emphatically that leaving Andre out of the squad was his decision.
Ahead of the return game in Luanda, the Ghana Football Association confirmed that the 31-year-old has suffered an injury and has been ruled out of the game.
Taylor is, however, of the view that the skipper not travelling with the squad was due to his omission in the first leg and not an injury.
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“The injured players who have left the team is good for the team but not entirely because we know what they can do for the team but I’m struggling to believe the excuse for Dede that he is injured because he didn’t even play the game I believe there is something there and it’s not that he is injured,” he told Angel TV.
“Maybe he was angry they did not let him play the first leg and that’s why he was dropped out of the squad the medical team said he is injured but I don’t believe that. He was angry he did not play that’s why he is not going to Angola,” he added.
Ghana, however, held Angola to a 1-1 drawn game at the Estádio 11 de Novembro.
The Stars remain at the top of the group with eight points, followed by Central African Republic, who moved to second after back-to-back wins over Madagascar. Angola dropped to third with five points, while Madagascar are out of the race for qualification.