Retired Black Stars captain Sam Johnson has called on the technical team of the Black Stars to reduce the playing time of the current Black Stars captain, Andre Dede Ayew.
The new Le Havre signing came under a lot of criticism due to his unproductive performances for the Black Stars in the latter stages of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, with scores of fans calling for him to be dropped aside from being without a club.
Johnson believes the technical team of the Black Stars was wrong to have played Dede in the games, which drew much criticism towards the player.
”The technical team has already killed the boy [Andre Ayew]. Why am I saying this? Everyone knows that when you play football to an extent, you tend to lose form,” he said on Max 89.7 FM.
The former Fenerbache Instabul defender also asserts that Dede Ayew should be playing fewer minutes due to his age and loss of form.
“He reports for duty when called upon. That doesn’t mean he has to play 90 or 70 minutes. If he’s not happy about playing for 20 minutes or less, then don’t call him.
But when you bring him to play for 90 minutes and the tempo is low, don’t call him. Dede isn’t the Dede of old, but with 20 minutes or less, he can do better.
The Black Stars captain would be expected to feature when Ghana hosts Madagascar on Friday, November 17, 2023, in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi.
