Details of Otto Addo's face-to-face meeting with Dede Ayew as narrated by Atta Poku

Ghanaian sports journalist, Collins Atta Poku has narrated that Black Stars head coach Otto Addo informed Andre Dede Ayew about his exclusion from the squad in a face-to-face meeting.

According to Atta Poku, the manager cited Ayew's longevity in the squad and his desire to evolve the Black Stars as reasons for leaving out the former Olympique Marseille man.

Speaking on Africa614 Multimedia, he said Ayew did not accept Otto Addo's decision as the players feel he still has something to offer.

"He sat down with him and told him that he had transcended two generations at the Black Stars. Dede has outlived Appiah, Dede has outlived Essien and John Mensah...If you look closely at things, he is the only surviving member of the 2010 World Cup squad. So the Black Stars would have to evolve away from you. Dede did not agree because he still wanted to play."

Otto Addo announced his squad for the World Cup qualifiers during a press conference on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

When asked about the reason for leaving out Dede Ayew, Otto Addo stated that he had talks with the player but held a tight lip on what he told the Black Stars captain.

"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 told the media.

Solar Ayew, Andre Ayew's uncle, responded to the manager's decision saying the family accepted it in good faith despite being shocked.

“We’ve taken Andre Ayew’s omission from the Black Stars squad normally. He was earning invites when he was unattached, so his omission will surprise not only me but everyone because he is at the top of his game now. This is normal for the Ayew family,” Solar Ayew remarked on Asempa FM.

Ghana is set to visit Mali on Thursday, June 6, 2024, before hosting the Central African Republic on Monday, June 10, 2024.

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