Ghana vs Chad, Mali: Otto Addo Delivers Strong Statement to Andre Ayew
- There was no spot for Ghanaian veteran Andre Ayew in Otto Addo's latest 2026 World Cup qualifying squad
- The Black Stars boss has indirectly sent a strong message to Ghana U20 FIFA World Cup hero with his selections
- Ghana have two crucial games coming up next month as they seek to atone for missing out on AFCON 2025
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Black Stars coach Otto Addo has sent a bold signal to veteran Ghanaian forward Andre Ayew following his squad announcement for the upcoming games against Chad and Mali.
The four-time African champions take on Chad on September 4, 2025, at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno in their next round of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
The Black Stars will then host Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 8, in what is expected to be a fiercely contested meeting between the two West African rivals.
Source: Getty Images
On August 26, 2025, Addo unveiled his 24-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Mali, including familiar faces like Villarreal's Thomas Partey, Mohammed Kudus, Jordan Ayew, Gideon Mensah, Antoine Semenyo, and Iñaki Williams.
Derrick Arthur Köhn has received his maiden call-up after an impressive stint at Werder Bremen. The 26-year-old joined Union Berlin this summer from Galatasaray after a productive loan spell at Bremen, where he registered 27 Bundesliga appearances and scored two goals.
Kamaldeen Sulemana returns to the team after completing a move from Southampton to Serie A outfit Atalanta, while French-based midfielder Elisha Owusu is also back in the squad after recovering from a long-term injury.
Young prospect Caleb Yirenkyi has earned his first call-up thanks to his fine displays for FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark. Defender Tariq Lamptey also reclaimed his spot, alongside Christopher Bonsu Baah and Ireland-based goalkeeper Joseph Anang.
Otto Addo's clear message to Andre Ayew
However, as was generally expected, there was no place for Andre Ayew, who has 113 caps and 24 goals for the Ghana national football team, according to Transfermarkt stats.
Selections show that Coach Addo has moved on from the veteran forward, who is currently without a club after leaving Le Havre in France during the latest transfer window.
According to Flashscore, Ayew last featured for Ghana in the 2-2 friendly against Uganda on March 26, 2024, having missed out on the team's last 10 matches since then.
Source: Getty Images
According to FIFA's official website, Ghana, who failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), currently leads Group I of the African 2026 World Cup qualification with 15 points, having won five of their six matches so far, with Comoros following closely with 12 points.
The Black Stars' superb run in the qualifiers began with a 1-0 win over Madagascar and a sole loss to Comoros (0-1) in 2023, followed by wins over Mali (2-1) and Central African Republic (4-3) in 2024, and then victories against Chad (5-0) and Madagascar (3-0) this year so far.
Reason behind Andre Ayew’s Black Stars omission
Earlier, YEN.com.gh detailed the factors that led to Andre Ayew’s exclusion from the Black Stars squad for March’s World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar.
The Black Stars were in fine form, hammering Chad at home and brushing aside Madagascar in Morocco, despite missing the 2011 BBC African Player of the Year.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
