Expressing his views on the performance of the Black Stars at the AFCON, Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, believes that Andre Ayew has surpassed his time with the national team.
Ayew, who captained the team, led Ghana to the continental showpiece in Ivory Coast, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
In an interview with Angel FM, monitored by Footballghana.com, Mensah Bonsu refrained from blaming coach Chris Hughton for the team’s poor showing, asserting that deficiencies in some players, including Andre Ayew, played a role.
Mensah Bonsu stated, “Constant peeling off coaches is not going to help us. Some of the players were deficient. Between the Ayew brothers, I had hope in Jordan than Andre because he’s played his part. If we are to be truthful to ourselves, he no longer fits into the team, why don’t address the issue at hand? You force the player on the coach and you don’t want to blame the player, rather, you blame the coach.
While acknowledging Ayew’s past contributions, Mensah Bonsu expressed the view that the player is now a “spent force.” He emphasized the need to recognize when a player’s time with the national team has concluded.
“To me, Andre Ayew has been a fantastic player just like his father was but at the moment, he is spent force” he said.
The Black Stars faced an early setback at AFCON, failing to qualify for the knockout stage for the second consecutive tournament. Ghana drew two games in Group B, finishing third behind Cape Verde and Egypt.