Otto Addo reveals why he dropped captain Andre Ayew

By Eustace Nii AKWEI, Accra

Otto Addo has provided insight into the omission of captain Andre Ayew from the Black Stars squad ahead of the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Despite the 34-year-old’s commendable performances for Le Havre in the French Ligue 1, he will not be part of the team for the upcoming matches against Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR).

While Ayew has showcased strong form for his club, including scoring six goals in 20 games across all competitions with an assist, his recent performances for the national team have not been as impressive.

Despite his contributions, Addo appears to be shifting focus towards nurturing youthful talents, as indicated by his decision to exclude Ayew from the squad.

“I had a long talk with Andre. Personally, I visited him and gave him the reasons why he is not in the squad at the moment,” Addo said.

I usually hear it like this don’t talk about those in the squad. For me, I can say I don’t like to give information out about what we spoke about.

“At the moment, Andre is a living legend of Ghana. It’s unbelievable what he did for the country and It’s the most difficult decision because I like him as a person and also as a player.

“And this is a decision we took not like we totally agreed but I gave him the explanation so I don’t want to take it to another extent and say something for people to write about.