Amidst blames and counter blames following their failure to make it to the finals of Gabon 2017, Black Stars striker and West Ham forward Andre Ayew hit out on his teammates telling them to simply ‘shut up and go home’
Ayew, who scored two penalties on the way to the semi-final, was unable to contribute Thursday night, as Ghana froze in their sixth consecutive Cup of Nations semi-final.
But the former Swansea star was eager to move on, accepting the defeat and already looking ahead to 2019 when he insisted the Black Stars would be back.
‘We have to be honest, Cameroon deserved the victory today, we didn’t do what we had to do,’ said Ayew.
‘We are very disappointed, but there’s not much to say. We just need to shut up, go home, and prepare for the next two years.
It is now 35 years since Ghana, who have a talented squad but rarely performed at their best in Gabon, won a title, but Ayew was adamant that this group can still hit the heights they were always tipped to reach.
‘We’ve got to work hard, and sooner or later we will get this title.
‘It’s football. We are trying, we want to, and we will win it one day. I know it. I believe it” he enthused
Manager Avram Grant claimed his side did not deserve to lose, and suggested that the loss of Captain Asamoah Gyan to injury was a big factor in their semi-final exit. Interestingly the next edition of the bi-annual championship will be hosted by Cameroon who some say stand 50% chance of emerging champions on Sunday against Egypt
