Three English clubs have asked the Ghana FA not to include their players in the squad for the upcoming friendlies against Mexico and USA.
West Ham United, Leicester City and Swansea City have asked the GFA not to travel with Andre Ayew, Daniel Amartey and Jordan Ayew respectively for the matches scheduled for June 28 and July 1.
There were widespread reports that the players asked to be excluded but it is now clear that their clubs wanted to insist on their rights.
With the two friendly matches taking players outside the FIFA dates for international matches, the three English sides want their players to rest ahead of the start of grueling pre-season training.
Contrary to claims that the three players have asked to be excused from the friendly duties, the GFA says it is their clubs who have asked the federation not to use the players for the matches.
"We have received letters from the clubs of Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew and Daniel Amartey asking us to exclude them for the friendlies against Mexico and USA," Ghana FA spokesman, Ibrahim Sannie, said when asked about reports that the players opted out of the two matches.
The trio are key to the Black Stars squad as they all played part in Ghana’s 5-0 thumping of Ethiopia in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations last week.
However their clubs want them excused from the trip in order to take some rest ahead of their English Premier League pre-season schedules and they have the backing of the FIFA law.
The games will be the first friendlies under coach Kwesi Appiah following the cancellation of a meeting with Nigeria in London last May.
The Black Stars will face Mexico at the Houston Dynamo Stadium before locking horns with USA three days later at the Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Reports suggest that some of the local players have had issues with their visas for the trip, while Leicester City midfielder Daniel Amartey is believed to have telephoned coach Appiah to exclude him from the trip citing similar reasons as the Ayews.
Andre’s West Ham are expected to embark on a ten-day tour across Europe with two games against Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in the 2017 Betway Cup on July 28 and 29.
Jordan, on the other hand, will join Swansea for their pre-season schedule which also includes a ten-day tour of the US, with friendly matches against Philadelphia Union (Jul
Source: ghanasoccernet.com
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