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Soccer News of Saturday, 2 March 2013

Source: Raymond Yeboah

Ghanaians salute Ayew brothers’ decision to quit

The best and comfortable decision any player who has been hurt could take is what the Ayew brothers have done. It will take the sack of Kwesi Appiah as head coach of the senior national team to restore them back.

Losing such players at this crucial World Cup qualifying period is a big blow just because we have already lost the services of Michael Essien and Kevin-Prince Boateng.

The coaching staff wasn't fair to the boys especially Dede. What Dede did was not a maximum degree of indiscipline that could omit a player of his stature from a major tournament, he was treated on somebody's personal sentiments.

Even Asamoah Gyan still plays for Ghana, a player who once hurt the heart of Ghanaians with horrendous penalty kicks and out of very few criticism also decided to badge out without accepting his mistake. Asamoah Gyan through my investigations was convinced to come back with the reward of captain’s armband.

Whoever gave the Ayew brothers this advice has in fact done well. Look at how Olympique Marseille adore these two siblings. Great performances each and every week even won Dede Marseille’s best player of the month.

Their dedication and commitment to national assignment cannot be over-emphasized, Dede was true replacement of Stephen Appiah in the Black Stars. The talent within the Black Stars at the moment is not all that enough to sacrifice some. I implore the FA to react the same way they brought back Asamoah Gyan to the team when he also rebelled against the team.

Anyone who says Ghana did not miss those two brothers at the Nations’ Cup 2013 must be passively blind in their analysis, their absence left a huge vacuum. Almost all the African newspapers had Dede's picture at fore front in their assessment on the countries that had qualified to take part in the Nations’ Cup.

The nation’s hopes of qualifying to 2014 FIFA World Cup should not be taken for granted, the materials that went to South Africa can’t do the team any good.

The likes of Derek Boateng, Albert Adomah and the rest are not up to the task, Ghana still needs the old rock midfield that comprises the likes of Essien, Kevin-Prince, Muntari, Dede to get a World Cup ticket, else we should forget because Kwesi Appiah’s tactics alone could fail the team judging from what transpired in South Africa.

I am done.