Black Stars skipper Andre Ayew
Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has warned Ghanaians against forcing Andre Ayew to retire from the national team.
Ayew, who is captain of the Black Stars, has not featured for Ghana since March 2024 due to continuous snub by the technical team.
The veteran forward returned to club football after rejoining Le Havre in October and has already marked good performances in Ligue 1.
Agyemang Badu and Ayew have been teammates since their days with the U20 national team in 2009 and he believes the 34-year-old will only retire when the time is right.
“Ayew is one of my very good friends and I have been privileged to have worked with him. He was my captain (at U20 level) although he had been playing for the Black Stars,” Agyemang Badu told Flashscore.
“If he thinks his body is still responding and the coaches still need him, we will all support him to be there.
“However, we have brought a coach to do a great job for us, so everything lies in the hands of the coach now. Ayew now has a club, he has played some games and will get his form back.
“If the coach thinks his experience is still needed as captain to help the guys to grow, we will support him 120 percent. If the coaches think otherwise, we will support him as well.
“Andre knows his body more than me and nobody can force him to retire from the national team or his clubside.
“If he wakes up tomorrow and says thank you Ghana, it is time to focus on club football only, we will say thank you and appreciate his contributions because he has done alone for the Black Stars.”
