Black Stars coach Otto Addo has declined to publicly explain his decision to exclude captain André Dede Ayew from the squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.
On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, Otto Addo announced his 26-man squad for the upcoming matches, with André Ayew’s absence being particularly notable.
When asked about the decision, Addo chose not to reveal the specifics, mentioning that he had a lengthy discussion with Ayew about the matter.
Despite Ayew’s disagreement with the decision, Addo emphasized that he still holds the Black Stars captain in high regard.
“I had a long talk with André and gave him the reasons why he is not in the squad. I talk to players directly and don’t like to disclose information about our discussions. This is the decision we took, and it’s not like he necessarily agreed, but I still have great respect for him,” he said.
Below is the full squad:
Defenders:
- Gideon Mensah (AJ Auxerre)
- Ebenezer Annan (FK Novi Pazar)
- Mohammed Salisu (AS Monaco)
- Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir)
- Abdul Mumin (Rayo Vallecano)
- Alexander Djiku (Fenerbahce Istanbul)
- Alidu Seidu (Stade Rennes)
- Tariq Lamptey (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Midfielders:
- Mohammed Kudus (West Ham United)
- Ernest Nuamah (Olympique Lyon)
- Salis Abdul Samed (RC Lens)
- Ibrahim Sulemana (Cagliari Calcio)
- Edmund Addo (FK Radnicki Nis)
- Thomas Partey (FC Arsenal)
- Elisha Owusu (AJ Auxerre)
- Abu Francis (Cercle Brugge)
Forwards:
- Osman Bukari (RS Belgrade)
- Issahaku Abdul Fatawu (Leicester City, on loan from Sporting CP)
- Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)
- Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace)
- Ibrahim Osman (FC Nordsjaelland)
- Kamaldeen Sulemana (FC Southampton)
- Brandon Thomas-Asante (West Bromwich Albion)