Ayew was the biggest omission from Otto Addo’s squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central Africa Republic (CAR) on June 6 and June 10, respectively.
This was despite the 34-year-old ending the 2023/24 season on a high after scoring five goals in Ligue 1 to help Le Havre escape relegation.
Ayew has been a mainstay in the national team for the better part of the last decade and a half and was named captain ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The former Olympic Marseille and Nottingham Forest forward has, however, had a reduced role in the Black Stars in recent times and didn’t start any of Ghana’s three group-stage matches during the 2023 AFCON in the Ivory Coast.
He is, however, Ghana’s most-capped player with 120 appearances, having represented the country at eight AFCONs and three FIFA World Cups.
While his omission from the latest Black Stars squad has come as a shock, Polo, who won the AFCON with Ghana in 1978, believes it’s time for Ayew to retire from international football.
“It’s up to Dede to decide to retire or not but I will personally advise him to retire because he has done enough for the nation,” Polo told Connect FM, as quoted by 3Sports.
“In life, if your time is up, it doesn’t matter what you do. Dede has done a lot for our national teams. What he has done is for prosperity to talk about.”
Polo was a household name in Ghana football in the 1970s and 1980s while playing for Ghana Premier League giants Accra Hearts of Oak.
He was also an integral member of the Black Stars team that won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 1978.
The 66-year-old’s impressive performances earned him a nomination for the African Footballer of the Year award in 1977.
Polo is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to emerge from Ghana and was dubbed the ‘Dribbling Magician’ during his playing days.