Former Black Stars striker Prince Tagoe has condemned the treatment of Andre Ayew in the Black Stars team.

According to the "Prince of Goals," leaving Ayew out of the national team was disrespectful to a player who has made over 100 appearances for the Black Stars.

For the former Hearts of Oak striker, giving the captain’s armband to Thomas Partey was also a form of disrespect to the former Marseille star.

“You gave the captaincy to Dede, and just when he peaked at his club, you decided not to call him up and handed the captaincy to Partey. Partey is a very good player, but look at how the transition was handled, that alone is disrespectful.

“This created confusion among the players. If you’re taking the captaincy from Dede, you can’t just give it to Partey. Partey deserves it, and his time will definitely come, but we rush to push certain people into positions because they are our favorites. Football doesn’t work like that. It works with respect and proper transitions,” Tagoe said.

Tagoe also suggested that jealousy could be a reason for Andre Ayew being sidelined, asserting that Ayew still has what it takes to compete with the current crop of Black Stars players.

“I don’t think a deep-thinking coach would drop Dede from the national team. What these boys are playing, you can’t tell me Dede cannot do the same. In this country, we try to retire players too early when it’s not their time. We envy people for no reason,” he added.

Andre Ayew has been absent from the national team since the Black Stars’ 2-2 draw with the Cranes of Uganda in March 2024.

FKA/EK