ACCRA — Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has dropped midfielder Andre Ayew from his squad for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations Afcon.
Report by Supersport
The France-based star got a hamstring injury in training last week and failed to meet Saturday’s deadline for players to report for Ghana’s pre-tournament training camp in Abu Dhabi.
A statement on the Ghana FA website read: “I have decided to exclude midfielder Andre Ayew from the Ghana squad for the 2013 Afcon.
“Following Andre’s inability to join the Black Stars squad by yesterday morning for Ghana’s team doctors to assess the extent of his injury and fitness for the tournament, I have decided to work only with the players currently in camp.
“All the players were given the deadline of Saturday to report to camp in Abu Dhabi, unfortunately Andre did not turn up despite being released by his club and air tickets provided by the GFA for him to travel from France to beat the deadline.
“As he did not turn up by Saturday night, I ordered for him to be contacted over his absence, but he said he could not depart from France because he was seeing his doctors.”
“The uncertainty over Andre’s fitness started when the GFA received a letter from his club Marseille that he had had a hamstring injury so could not meet the GFA deadline of Saturday January 5 2013 for reporting to camp in Abu Dhabi, UAE.”
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“In response, the GFA wished the player a speedy recovery and requested him to report to camp by the Saturday January 5 2013 deadline and submit himself to the medical team of the Black Stars for examination and if possible for treatment.
“The club wrote back to the GFA confirming it had released the player to join the Black Stars at its camp in Abu Dhabi on Saturday January 5 2013.”
“Unfortunately, Andre failed to report to camp and indicated that owing to the treatment he was receiving from his doctor he would report to camp on January 9 (tomorrow).”
“He was further advised to endeavor to report to the camp by latest Monday January 7 2013 because Wednesday January 9 2013 was the deadline for submission of the list of 23 players to Caf. “As Andre plans to arrive on Tuesday (today) it means he would be unable to join any of my six training sessions before Caf’s Wednesday deadline for the submission of the final squad.
“In line with my vision of taking only fit players for Afcon, I have decided that to work only with the players currently in camp. “I have personally explained the rationale behind the decision to Andre and I will continue to count on him in future matches if he is fit.”
