Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has clarified his decision to exclude captain Andre Ayew, stating that his priority is to develop a team for the future.
The coach, trained in Germany, highlighted his commitment to building a squad from a younger pool of players, which led to Ayew’s omission from the current lineup.
“We are looking at the future or the long-term development, that’s mainly why we invited younger players and left out André Ayew.”
Andre Ayew has now been excluded from the Black Stars squad for the third consecutive time, with his last call-up dating back to late 2023.
In addition to the former Swansea City player, other notable absentees from the squad include Salis Samed, Daniel Amartey, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Ernest Nuamah, Denis Odoi, and Gideon Mensah.
On Thursday, August 29, 2024, Otto Addo announced his 23-man squad, which features 3 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 5 midfielders, and 7 forwards.
The Black Stars are set to face Angola in Kumasi on September 5, 2024, before travelling to play Niger on September 9.