French side Lorient have told the Ghana Football Association (GFA) that they will not release midfielder Andre Dede Ayew for this week's U-20 clash with Gambia. Coach Sellas Tetteh named the 18-year-old in his squad for Sunday's final, first-leg qualifier for the African Youth Championship. But Lorient officials say they will not release the player because the game is not on Fifa's calendar for international matches when clubs are required to let players join their national teams. Despite the French club's reluctance, Ayew, who is the captain of Ghana's U-20 team, hopes a deal can be found to allow him play for his country. "It is a difficult situation for me because Lorient are insisting they won't allow me to go," Ayew told Ghanasoccernet. "My country is important for me and I have told my club that this is an important game for my country. "The GFA officials are also in talks with them and I hope we can find a solution so that I can go home to play the game." Ayew, who is on loan from giants Marseille, has won the hearts of fans of Lorient after his impressive displays for the club. Africa's qualifying series has now been narrowed down to 14 sides after the July's first round of qualifiers. Seven teams will qualify over a two-leg fixture for the Championship to be hosted by Rwanda in 2009. Ghana reached the final round stage of the qualifiers after managing a 5-2 aggregate win over Angola. Source: Ghanasoccernet