The days of Andre Ayew as a Black Star are near, but Otto Addo is counting incorrectly

Dede Ayew

Before Otto Addo announced his first team for competitive assignments, rumors had been circulating that the former Borussia Dortmund player would leave out Black Stars captain Andre "Dede" Ayew from the 26-man roster for June's vital 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.

Anybody who recognizes Ayew's prominence on the national team, his strong personality, and his star power understands how difficult it would be for any manager to even consider not inviting him when he is healthy and capable.

Even though Ayew is 34 years old and clearly past his prime, you could start him from the bench or even leave him there the entire game, as former head coach Chris Hughton did toward the conclusion of his career. But to remove Ayew off the roster entirely?

Inconceivable. Never before seen. Brazen.
Addo admits that he didn't pull it off very easily, but he managed it nonetheless.

"Dede Ayew and I had a lengthy conversation. At the press conference, Addo presented an explanation for why he is now not a member of his squad, saying, "I went to see him.

Although it is really difficult to leave him out, as the coach I must ultimately make judgments that are best for the squad. Although I think Dede is a good athlete and a person, this was our choice, not one he fully supported.

Addo undoubtedly carried out his managerial duties. As the team's leader, he bears ultimate responsibility for the team's performance and makeup. However, Addo acknowledged that Ayew had a legitimate counterargument as well, should he choose to make one.

Ayew has been among Ghana's more respectable performers in Europe, despite the fact that he is by no means a spring chicken and does not even rank among the country's best players right now. He joined Le Havre of Ligue 1 in France after playing a supporting role at Nottingham Forest for the later part of the previous season and an unsettlingly long time looking for a new job. He made a substantial contribution there, scoring five goals in 17 games, including a stunning scissor-kick, to help the Norman team maintain its first flight standing.

Therefore, meritocracy falls short of fully explaining Ayew's exclusion; if it did, there would be no justification for Kamaldeen Sulemana to be included in there after he missed eight of the twelve games leading up to Southampton's Premier League return last week and didn't start any of them. and yet he is.

There has been widespread outcry over the exclusion of a player who many believe has played for the Black Stars for far longer than he should far longer than anyone has ever played for, according to a record 120 appearances but there isn't much excuse for doing so anymore, is there?

If inviting Ayew when he was hardly playing or nonexistent at the club level wasn't acceptable, then excluding him now when he's doing well (relatively, that is, for a player his age) is also incorrect.

When all of the aforementioned is taken into account, Addo's choice seems like a maneuver to appease the Ghanaian supporters who neither support Addo nor want Ayew to play for the team.

However, it's a clear and well-known case of ageism if, as some speculate, it's all about dumping the team's oldest member, regardless of whether or not he could still perform a job even after over ten years of donning that white shirt.

In any case, Addo has obviously chosen the incorrect time for the Ghanaian position, regardless of his motivations. He would have been training for Saturday's UEFA Champions League final as Dortmund manager Edin Terzic's assistant, having worked in that exact role during the German-Croatian's half-term tenure back in the 2020–21 campaign.

Even though the time to drop Ayew has passed, it will unavoidably come back sooner rather than later.
But this isn't it, at all.