Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo, says the reason for Andre Ayew's absence from the squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers is due to his quest to build a team for the future.

Ghana will face Angola and Niger in the opening matches for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers with the first game set to be played in Kumasi.

Ayew was one of the big names missing from Addo's 23-man squad for the two games making it the second consecutive time he has missed out on a national team call-up this year.

Explain his decision to leave out the national team captain, the former Borussia Dortmund assistant coach said: "We have to look a little further. We have to into the next AFCON but also if God permits and we might qualify for that too we look one to three years ahead. We have to build a squad for that.

"We are building up and I think we did quite well the last time even though it was tough, we know the next games are going to be even tougher because everybody expects us to win.

"It's going to be tough and we might also get some knockbacks but this is football and we are looking for long-term development that is why we decided, also, the last time not to invite Andre."

Ayew is currently without a club following the expiration of his deal with Le Havre at the end of the 2023/24 season.