Black Stars captain Andre Dede Ayew
Black Stars team manager Ameenu Shardow, has denied reports that Andre Ayew was dropped from the official matchday squad for Ghana's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola in Kumasi.
The Ghana Football Association's graphic to announce the squad for the game did not feature Ayew's name, causing speculation that the captain had been left out of the team.
However, Shardow explained the mix-up with Ayew's name during an interview on Joy Sports. He stated, "It's not true that Andre Ayew was not on the list of the official matchday squad. Even in the Ghana Premier League, if you're not on the official list as a starter or a substitute, you can never be on the bench."
Shardow went on to clarify that Ayew was, in fact, on the bench and warmed up during the game. "If your name is not on the list, you have no business around the technical area or on the bench. We all saw the player on the bench, so it should tell you something [that he was part of the matchday squad]," Shardow added.
Ayew was unable to participate in the reverse fixture in Luanda due to a knee injury that forced him to withdraw from the squad.
