New coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo has excluded captain Andre Ayew from his 26-man squad for the upcoming crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Mali and Central African Republic.
The coach, who revealed his squad during a press conference on Wednesday, mentioned that he had a private conversation with the Ghana record appearance holder regarding this decision.
Addo personally informed Andre about the reasons behind his exclusion before finalizing the squad.
The Black Stars are scheduled to play against Mali on June 6, 2024, at Stade 26 Mars in Bamako, followed by a home match against Central African Republic on June 10, 2024, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
“I had a long chat with Andre and gave him the reason why he is not in the squad,” he said.
“I talk to players directly and I don’t like to put information out about what we spoke about.
“This is the decision we took and it’s not like he necessarily agreed, but I still have big respect for him.”
Among the players receiving their first call-ups to the national team under Addo are Ibrahim Sulemana and Brandon Thomas-Asante from West Bromwich Albion.
Ghana, currently 4th on the table with three points, face Mali in Bamako on June 6 before hosting the Central African Republic in Kumasi on June 10.
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