Former Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has assured fans that Andre Ayew is unbothered by his exclusion from the Black Stars squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar.

Despite his impressive form for Le Havre in the French Ligue 1—where he has netted five goals—Ayew has not featured for the national team since Ghana’s early exit from the 2023 AFCON. His omission from Otto Addo’s latest squad has raised eyebrows, but Agyemang-Badu believes the decision should be respected.

“We all know that the criteria for selecting players into the Black Stars is performance. Andre Ayew is performing, but if the coach has made a decision, we need to respect it,” he stated.

He further revealed that the veteran forward remains unfazed. “I have spoken to Andre Ayew, and he is not worried,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Black Stars have officially opened camp in Accra, with key players such as Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jojo Wollacott, Antoine Semenyo, and Thomas Partey already in camp.

Ghana will face Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium on March 21 before traveling to Morocco for their match against Madagascar on March 24. With nine points, they are currently level with Group I leaders Comoros.