Didier Deschamps hopes to further delay the arrivals of influential Andre and Jordan Ayew to the Black Stars camp ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Olympique Marseilleââ¬â¢s request to hold onto the players beyond the January 7 deadline prescribed by Fifa laws was granted by the Ghana FA but for only a day more.
This was a token of goodwill by the GFA to underscore the good relationship which exists between the two outfits but it appears OM will be looking to abuse the magnanimous gesture.
Marseille hopes to keep the Ayew brothers for theà League Cup quarter-final at Caen on Tuesday by delaying the duoââ¬â¢s arrival for a further three days even though Deschamps admits it will be difficult to do so considering the earlier deal struck.
The Ghana FA however insists it will not go beyond the agreed extension â⬓ fearing it couls disrupt preparations towards Ghanaââ¬â¢s quest to win the first Nations Cup trophy in 30-years.
ââ¬ÅWe have very good relationship with most of the clubs that our players are engaged with and Olympique Marseille is one of them and they made a request to delay player arrivals,â⬠Ghana FA boss Kwasi Nyantakyi had earlier stated.
ââ¬ÅInitially the request was for them (Andre and Jordan) to play three games; on the 7th, on the 10th and on the 14th of January and they happen to conflict with our team program.
ââ¬ÅBut we had to bend a bit backwards in order to them half way so the compromise we struck was to allow Olympique Marseilleà accessà to the players to the first game which will be played on the 7th and then we expect the players to leave on the 8th and arrive to camp on the 9th.
ââ¬ÅWe cannot meet them 100% but weââ¬â¢ve tried to do something, the same dispensation has been granted Udinese and so Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu and Kwadwo Asamoah will also be playing a game on the 7th and they leave on the 8th.
ââ¬ÅThe same applies to Stade Rennes so John Boye will also be allowed to play on the 7th and then come on the 8th so by 9th we should have a full house.
ââ¬ÅWe think that if we did anything more than that it will affect the teamââ¬â¢sà preparationsà à and if the team is not well prepared nothing can compensate us for any poor showing in Gabon.
ââ¬ÅTherefore to prevent that we pleaded with them to bear with us that at thisà particularà moment there is little we can do and the best we can do is to offer them this limitedà dispensationà which they accepted and everyone is happy.ââ¬