Ghana demands release of Marseille’s Andre Ayew despite injury

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has rejected Olympique Marseille’s request to keep midfielder Andre Ayew under their watch following a purported injury scare at training on Wednesday.

Marseille’s request contained in a letter to the GFA late Thursday, sought the Federation’s permission to put Ayew under observation for the next five days in order to ascertain the degree of injury and whether he will be fit in time for the biannual gathering.

The GFA, according to sources close to the GNA Sports rejected the request, demanding the winger’s release to allow the medical team of the Black Stars to assess him.

The letter, according to the source expects Ayew to join up the 24 other players in camp at Abu Dhabi on Saturday, January 6, where preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations begin for the next 11 days.

Ayew is among the 25 players for pre-tourney preparation. The squad will be pruned to 23 to meet the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) requirement on January 9, ahead of the competition beginning in South Africa on Saturday, January 19.

If Ayew is unable to race against time, he will be joining Yahaya Mohammed on the sidelines as the two injured players to go out of the 26 even before Coach Kwesi Appiah’s pruning before January 9.

The Marseille midfielder who reportedly picked up a hamstring at training on Wednesday, could be gunning for a fourth appearance at the continental plum competition that spans January 19-February 10.

Source: GNA