Ghana’s head coach, Otto Addo, has officially named Leicester City’s Jordan Ayew as the Black Stars’ captain for the final round of qualifiers in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
With the absence of regular leaders Andre Ayew and Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew steps into the role to lead Ghana as they fight to keep their AFCON hopes alive.
The Black Stars face an uphill task, as they prepare to play against Angola and Niger in their last two qualifiers. First, Ghana will travel to Luanda to take on the already-qualified Angolan team on November 15, followed by a home match against Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium on November 18, 2024.
Otto Addo’s decision to choose Jordan Ayew as captain comes after his previous choice of West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus as skipper for the October fixtures against Sudan sparked criticism.
Many felt that overlooking Jordan Ayew for the role contributed to Ghana’s setbacks in those games, where their qualification hopes took a hit. However, recent discussions in Leicester between Addo and Ayew appear to have smoothed over any differences, leading to Ayew’s appointment for these crucial matches.
Ghana is now in a precarious position, facing the possibility of missing the AFCON tournament for the first time in two decades.
The team has struggled throughout the qualifying series, with two losses and two draws leaving them in third place with just two points.
To secure their place in the tournament set for Morocco next year, the Black Stars must win both upcoming matches and hope that Sudan stumbles in their remaining games against Angola and Niger.
