Andre Ayew has missed out on a Black Stars call-up for the fourth consecutive international window, this time for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar on March 21 and 24, respectively.
His last national team invitation came in March 2024—exactly a year ago—during international friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda, where he did not feature in either game.
Despite this, Ayew continues to play regularly in the French Ligue 1. In this feature, I explore whether he should consider international retirement or if he deserves a recall to the squad.
First omission
“I had a long talk with André, personally. I visited him and gave him the reasons why he’s not in the squad. And André is, yeah, I mean, as everyone knows, a legend. He’s a living legend of Ghana,” that was Black Stars head coach Otto Addo back in May 2024, choosing his words carefully when explaining Ayew’s omission from his squad for last year’s World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.
At the time, many found it justifiable—Ayew was without a club and had endured controversial moments in the previous two major tournaments. He missed a penalty against Uruguay in the 2022 World Cup that contributed to Ghana’s exit and also gave away a penalty against Mozambique in the final group game of the 2023 AFCON, leading to Ghana’s exit again.
But Addo was quick to add, “I would never say never as a coach—never. Because I don’t know what will happen next season.”
Things changed in October 2024 when the 35-year-old joined Le Havre and netted five goals in 12 Ligue 1 starts—the best shot-conversion rate of any Ghanaian forward last season in Europe’s top five leagues.
Still, it wasn’t enough to earn him a recall for the final 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Angola and Niger.
Ayew’s absence led to leadership crisis
Without him, the Black Stars have won just two of their last eight matches, leading to a leadership crisis where three different players have worn the armband.
“He [Otto Addo] created this leadership problem, didn’t he? One moment it’s this, the next moment it’s that,” said football coach and analyst Christopher Nimley, adding, “He [Addo] created his organogram and said he was going to move away from Dede [Ayew], and he messed it up. Thanks to Kurt Okraku, who cannot even be checked by the head coach, and he comes and talks to his players anyhow. So there is an absolute crisis in our team when it comes to leadership.”
Mas-Ud Didid Dramani, who worked as an assistant coach of the Black Stars, said, “If you have a team that does not have a captain’s group, then it’s just like having a country without leaders. It’s like having a house without leadership, and a house cannot stand without leadership.”
Poor handling of captaincy transition felt
The absence of leadership is evident both on and off the pitch. Jordan Ayew, frustrated by the situation, even confided in Sudan coach Kwesi Appiah after Ghana’s game against them in Accra to discuss something he might be unhappy with within the team.
Jordan Ayew is telling Kwasi Appiah something after the Black Stars’ draw against Sudan yesterday at the Accra Sports Stadium.#JoySports | Osu official tv pic.twitter.com/Jiztxuoww4
— #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) October 11, 2024
Should Andre Ayew’s exclusion have disrupted the team’s structure and how could it have been managed better?
“There is supposed to be a captain’s group, and this group should periodically meet to discuss matters concerning the team, whether good or challenging. They serve as the longest arm of the coach,” Dramani said.
Nimley believes leadership in the team “starts with the head of the technical team. Our technical team has no leaders. Otto Addo is not a leader. Kurt Okraku himself, when it comes to football, is not a leader. Okay, maybe he is a leader for Dreams FC, but with the platform given to him, he has completely failed.”
Could Ayew have averted leadership crisis?
Having captained the Black Stars for five years after a 12-year apprenticeship under Stephen Appiah, John Mensah, and Asamoah Gyan, Ayew understands leadership.
But would this crisis have been avoided if he were still in the squad?
“He has had the opportunity to be around very experienced and older colleagues,” Dramani stated. “When a player gets the chance to play alongside veterans like Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, and Asamoah Gyan, it gives him a proper understanding of the game. You cannot underestimate the input of such a player.”
However, Christopher Nimley asserted that the former West Ham attacker might not be a good leader as many think. “André’s captaincy has not been without issues. I am aware of the indiscipline that took place in the Black Stars camp when we went to Côte d’Ivoire. If your players can revolt against the coach and try to interfere with team selection, then it is coming from the leader of the team.”
No capable replacements, return or retire?
In his absence, Ayew’s supposed replacements have managed just three goals in eight games, not proving capable of taking over the mantle, which has led to Ghana’s failure to qualify for the AFCON for the first time in 21 years.
With the March World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar looming, does Ghana need the 35-year-old back in the fold?
“It is better that he is not recalled to the national team,” Nimley stated. “If you do the mathematics, you are asking a man to return after 18 good years. You need to be a Lionel Messi—an untouchable. A player who, even at Messi’s age, remains indispensable to Argentina, the world champions.”
Didi Dramani added, “Players come and go, just like we spoke about Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan, and others. That tells you there is always a phase of player transition.”
The Black Stars may no longer require Ayew’s footballing abilities to turn their fortunes around, but the leadership vacuum in the team is a direct consequence of the coach’s decisions.
Is André Ayew done with the Black Stars, or does he still have something to offer Ghana?
Is a recall the solution to the team’s leadership crisis?
I explored his Black Stars future in this report.pic.twitter.com/2XctVZChMq
— Adamu Benin Abdul Karim (@_benin_) February 20, 2025
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