Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has cautioned against putting pressure on Andre Ayew to retire from the national team.
Ayew, the captain of the Black Stars, has missed the team since March 2024 due to a technical decision believed to be related to “inactivity.” However, he has recently returned to club football with Le Havre and is performing well in Ligue 1.
The decision from the technical team has led many Ghanaians to believe that Ayew is being forced to retire from the team. But, Agyemang-Badu, who has been a teammate of Ayew since their U20 days in 2009, believes that Ayew will decide when to retire and that no one should force him.
“Ayew is one of my very good friends, and I have been privileged to work with him. He was my captain (at U20 level), even though he has been playing for the Black Stars,” Agyemang-Badu said in an interview with FlashScore.
“If he feels that his body is still responding and the coaches still need him, we will support him to be there.
“However, we have brought in a coach to do a great job for us, so everything lies in the hands of the coach now. Ayew has a club, he has played some games, and he can regain his form.
“If the coach thinks that his experience is still needed as captain to help the younger players grow, we will support him 120 percent. If the coaches think otherwise, we will support them too.
“Andre knows his body better than I do, and no one can force him to retire from the national team or his club.
“If he wakes up tomorrow and says thank you, Ghana, it’s time to focus on club football only, we will say thank you and appreciate his contributions because he has done a lot for the Black Stars,” he added.
Andre Ayew has made 120 appearances for Ghana, making him the player with the most appearances for the national team. He has also scored 24 goals for the team, with 9 of those goals coming in the African Cup of Nations and 2 in the World Cup.
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