Chris Hughton, the head coach of the senior national team, said that he chose to sit Black Stars captain Andre Ayew out of Thursday’s game against Angola.
Many people were surprised that Ayew didn’t play in Ghana’s 1-0 win over Angola at the Baba Yara Stadium in a qualifier for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Hughton explained that making decisions like this is part of a gaffer’s job, which caused many people to wonder about the reasoning behind the 33-year-old player’s exclusion.
As the head coach, you have the option to leave players on the bench in situations like this. “You know the quality that Andre has, and you also know the quality that I like to think the squad has,” he told the media after the game. “You know the quality that I like to think the squad has.”
“There is absolutely no meaning to be drawn from the fact that these choices present me with a lot of difficulty.” It was just a matter of personal preference; he is, was, and continues to be a very good player.
In Kumasi, the Black Stars were rescued by a goal scored by Antoine Semeneyo, who came on as a substitute and pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty area to score the game-winning goal.
When the two teams meet each other once more in Luanda on March 27, Hughton will be hoping that his players will have a strong showing for the match.