Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu calls for respect after Jordan Ayew’s appointment as Ghana captain

Former Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has called on Ghanaians to respect the decision to appoint Jordan Ayew as the new captain of the Black Stars.

In a statement ahead of Ghana’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) confirmed that the Leicester City forward will lead the national team.

Jordan Ayew replaces his brother, Andre Ayew, as the new Black Stars captain after the Le Havre forward was left out of the squad for these matches.

The decision comes after Thomas Partey reportedly declined to take on a leadership role within the team.

Reacting to the announcement, Agyemang-Badu, who played alongside Jordan Ayew at the 2014 World Cup, called for unity and urged the public to accept and respect the decision.

“No time for blame games anymore; let us reset Black Stars,” he told Takoradi-based Connect FM.

“Jordan Ayew is the captain of the Black Stars; let us respect that and move on.”

The Black Stars officially opened their training camp today in Accra, with their first session scheduled to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Key players including Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jojo Wollacott, Antoine Semenyo, and Thomas Partey have all reported for duty.

Ghana will take on Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, before travelling to Morocco for a clash against Madagascar on Monday, March 24.

The Black Stars are second in Group I with nine points, level on points with leaders Comoros after four matches played so far.

Meanwhile, the Black Stars have been hit with a major injury crisis, with 12 players currently sidelined.

The injured players include Alidu Seidu, Tariq Lamptey, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Abdul Mumin, Joseph Aidoo, Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Baba Iddrisu, Ibrahim Sulemana, Daniel Kofi Kyereh, Majeed Ashimeru, and Joseph Paintsil.