Former Black Stars midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, has stated that Andre Ayew is not concerned about being left out of Ghana’s squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Ayew, who has earned over 120 caps and scored 24 goals for the national team, has not featured for the Black Stars since the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, where Ghana suffered a group-stage exit. Despite his impressive form for Le Havre in the French Ligue 1, where he has scored five goals, he has once again been overlooked.
Respecting the Coach’s Decision
Reacting to the decision to exclude Ayew from the squad for games against Chad and Madagascar, Agyemang-Badu emphasized the need to respect the coach’s selection process.
“We all know that the criteria for selecting players into the Black Stars is performance. Andre Ayew is performing, but if the coach [Otto Addo] has made a decision, we need to respect it,” he stated.
Ayew Unfazed by Exclusion
Agyemang-Badu also revealed that the former Swansea City and West Ham forward remains unfazed by the omission.
“I have spoken to Andre Ayew, and he is not worried,” he added.
Black Stars Begin Preparations for World Cup Qualifiers
Meanwhile, the Black Stars have officially opened camp in Accra, holding their first training session at the Accra Sports Stadium. Among the players who have reported to camp are Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jojo Wollacott, Antoine Semenyo, and Thomas Partey.
Ghana will face Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, March 21, before traveling to Morocco to take on Madagascar on Monday, March 24. The Black Stars currently sit second in Group I with nine points, level with group leaders Comoros.
