The Ghana Football Association says midfielder Andre Ayew will be sidelined for three months after shoulder surgery, ruling him out of two World Cup qualifiers.

The GFA said the Marseille player underwent successful surgery in France on Tuesday, but will still miss games against Lesotho and African champion Zambia in June.

The 22-year-old Ayew, son of Ghana great Abedi Pele, had long been troubled by a shoulder problem.

GFA President Nyantakyi said that ''our thoughts are with you (Ayew) and we hope you make a speedy recovery.''

Ayew's absence will be a key loss for new Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah, who took over from Serb Goran Stevanovic after Ghana's surprise semifinal defeat to Zambia at this year's African Cup.