Ghana star Kudus refuses to drop iconic jersey despite backlash and 'spiritual implications'

Mohammed Kudus has reportedly refused to drop the iconic number 10 jersey ahead of Ghana's World Cup qualifiers in March.

The jersey number belongs to Ghana legend Andre Ayew, who is yet to officially retire from the national team.

According to JoySports via GhanaWeb, Kudus insists the jersey was handed to him by head coach Otto Addo and he has no intentions of relinquishing it despite calls to do so.

Kudus wears the number 20 jersey for Ghana and wore #10 for the first time during the AFCON qualifiers, where his performances were well below par.

There have been widespread calls for him to drop the jersey including from Black Stars legend Mohammed Polo, who wore the iconic shirt for Ghana in the late 70's.

Polo said, as reported by GhanaWeb, "We all remember what Kwadwo Asamoah said some time ago about the number 10 and the dreams he was having and everything.

"If Kudus is not strong spiritually, he should stop wearing the number 10 jersey in to his number 20 because there is a lot of weight in that jersey."

Despite the raging controversy, it appears the West Ham United star will continue to wear the number 10 shirt for the upcoming 2026 FIFA up qualifiers.