Ghana coach Otto Addo has addressed the exclusion of captain Andre Ayew from the Black Stars squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches. Despite a decent season with La Havre in the French Ligue 1, the 34-year-old has not made Otto Addo’s 26-man squad for the crucial games next month.
In response to Ayew's omission, Otto Addo remarked, “The door is always open for Andre Ayew because we don't know what will happen tomorrow. Never say never.”
Ghana will kick off their training camp on Thursday at the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon. The Black Stars will then face Mali on June 6 at Stade 26 Mars in Bamako before hosting Central Africa Republic at the Baba Yara Stadium on June 10.
The West African powerhouse aims to secure maximum points in both matches after a shaky start to the qualifiers last year. The Black Stars began with a 1-0 win over Madagascar but then suffered a narrow defeat to Comoros. Currently, Ghana sits in 4th place in Group I ahead of the third and fourth games.
Andre Ayew, who joined Le Havre in November 2023, played a significant role in helping the club avoid relegation. The 34-year-old Ghana forward scored five goals in 19 Ligue 1 games, emerging as the highest-scoring Ghanaian in the top-flight for the season. In all competitions, Ayew scored six goals in 20 games for Le Havre.
