With day 6 of the CAN 2023 qualifiers set to kick off in the next few days, a number of African players nearing the end of their careers will have to make one last effort to take their teams to Côte d'Ivoire.
André Ayew (33, Ghana)
Long gone are the days when André Ayew was a stadium idol in Ghana, the man who was awaited like a hero at African matches. The 33-year-old Black Stars striker is currently without a club since leaving Nottingham Forest. Despite being out of breath, the former OM star has been included in the Ghana squad (1st, 9 points) for the 6th day of the CAN 2023 qualifiers against the Central African Republic (3rd, 7 points). After 114 caps and 24 goals for his country, André Ayew's presence in the national team is beginning to grate on a few nerves back home. It's a situation that has defender John Paintsil taking action in support of the Ghana captain. "I'm not the coach, but every coach has his own philosophy and expectations of his players," he told Graphic Sports. "Some coaches don't want to invite you when you're not at the club because they think you're not ready". With the Black Stars playing a crucial CAN 2023 qualifier this Thursday, September 7, it's now clear that Andre Ayew's days with the national team are numbered.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (34, Gabon)
On May 16, 2023, Pierre-Emerick announced his umpteenth return to the national team following tensions between the new Olympique de Marseille player and the Gabonese Football Federation.With the goal of qualifying the Panthères for the 2023 AFCON in Côte d'Ivoire, the top scorer in the history of the national team (30 goals) and Gabon (3rd, 7 points) are in a tricky situation, with a must-win tie against Mauritania (1st, 8 points) on the 6th day of the qualifiers.Still without a goal in Ligue 1 since his arrival at OM, the 34-year-old is running out of steam and seems to have only his name to offer his team for such a decisive match. Should he fail in his mission, this could be the Gabonese goelador's final moments in the Panthères colors.
Cédric Bakambu (32, DR Congo)
In the same group as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Gabon, Cédric Bakambu should have the same goals as the Panthère if they fail to reach their targets. Should DR Congo fail to qualify for the 2023 African Cup of Nations, the 32-year-old striker, who had also signed up for a comeback in 2022, could put an end to his international career. To avoid the federation turning the page on this generation, the Leopard with 42 caps and 15 goals will be under great pressure with his DRC team (2nd, 7 points) when they take on Sudan (4th, 6 points).
