A former member of the Black Stars management committee, Ernest Thompson, has said that some players within the national team are not delighted about the captaincy being given to Jordan Ayew.

He alleged that the anger being harboured by the players after Mohammed Kudus was stripped of the captaincy, led to some of them deciding to decline call-ups to the team ahead of the games against Niger and Angola in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.

During an interview with Joy FM, Thompson stated that the controversy surrounding the Black Stars captaincy has had a negative impact on the players, thereby affecting their performance.

“Why would eight players tell you they are not available simply because the captaincy has been given back to Jordan Ayew? Don’t come and tell me that they are not available because they are injured.

“When it is Kudus who is the captain, some players will like to play and play well. Why would Djiku not come and play, and the next time you see him, he is playing?”

The decision of head coach Otto Addo to take the captaincy from Kudus and give it to Jordan was criticised by some individuals.

Jordan Ayew captained the team in Ghana’s final two games, losing 2-0 to Niger at home and drawing 1-1 against Angola in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.

The result meant Ghana failed to qualify for the AFCON for the first time in 20 years.

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