King Faisal F.C. coach and currently assistant coach for the Sudan national football team Ignatius Osei-Fosu has urged veteran forward Andre Ayew to consider stepping aside from the Ghana national football team to allow younger players to emerge.
The debate follows comments from Kofi Adams, who indicated he would not be surprised if Ayew is included in Ghana’s squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in June.
“He might be a very, very good player, but you ask yourself in this current setup, is he needed?” Osei-Fosu said.
“Is he needed? For me, no. Dede is my man, but for me, you leave when the applause is high,” he added.
“Dede himself should let it go and then focus on his club football.”
Ayew, who joined NAC Breda as a free agent, recently scored in a 3-3 Eredivisie draw against Feyenoord.
The 34-year-old forward remains one of Ghana’s most experienced internationals, having represented the Black Stars at four FIFA World Cups and not yet officially retiring from international football.
Osei-Fosu cited Italian legend Francesco Totti as an example of a veteran who prioritised club football over national duty.
“At one point Totti was called up to the national team, but he said, ‘No, I want to focus on club football,’” he explained.