Former Black Stars Management Committee member Ernest Thompson has disclosed that two-time Ghana Coach Kwasi Appiah wanted to exclude Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, and Mubarak Wakaso from the national team, but it took the management committee’s intervention to resolve the issue.

The Ghana Football Association announced the dissolution of the Black Stars Management Committee on Friday, November 22, following the team’s failure to qualify from Group F—featuring Angola, Sudan, and Niger—for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Speaking on Joy Sports Link on Joy FM, Thompson recounted the events and emphasised the critical role the management team played in resolving such challenges, juxtaposing it with Otto Addo’s current struggles as Black Stars coach.

“At a point in time, Kwasi Appiah had problems with Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, and Wakaso. You remember that incident. Go back to history. He [Kwasi Appiah] wanted to drop them. He said he had dropped them. I’m telling you the truth now,” he disclosed.

He explained how the management team convinced Appiah to reconsider his decision due to the players' importance and their father, Abedi Pele’s, legacy in Ghanaian football.

“We [then Black Stars management committee team] said, look, because of Jordan, Andre, and particularly their father Abedi [Pele], who is an icon, if you had problems with them in the team, we plead with you to go and see Abedi [Pele] and speak to Abedi because you can’t treat Abedi’s children that way. Let the father know, and see if the father can intervene.”

Thompson further revealed that it took the involvement of influential figures to mediate and resolve the tensions between Kwesi Appiah and the players.

“It took Alhaji Hearts, who we called to also go and speak to the boys about Kwasi Appiah’s concerns. Later on, Kwasi Appiah agreed, brought them back, and they came to save the team. So a lot of things happen at the management committee level [of the Black Stars]. You can check all these from George Afriyie.

"The management team does a good work provided they stay within their purview."