Marseille looking to further delay AFCON arrival of Ayews

Published on: 06 January 2012

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 Marseille’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 the League Cup quarter-final at Caen on Tuesday by delaying the duo’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 – fearing it couls disrupt preparations towards Ghana’s quest to win the first Nations Cup trophy in 30-years.

“We 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,” Ghana FA boss Kwasi Nyantakyi had earlier stated.

“Initially 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.

“But we had to bend a bit backwards in order to them half way so the compromise we struck was to allow Olympique Marseille access 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.

“We cannot meet them 100% but we’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.

“The 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.

“We think that if we did anything more than that it will affect the team’s preparations Â and if the team is not well prepared nothing can compensate us for any poor showing in Gabon.

“Therefore to prevent that we pleaded with them to bear with us that at this particular moment there is little we can do and the best we can do is to offer them this limited dispensation which they accepted and everyone is happy.”

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