Andre Ayew
Black Stars captain Andre Ayew (Dede), has underscored the significance of wearing the Ghanaian national football team jersey.
Dede has proven a worthy servant since making his debut for the senior national football team, when Ghana hosted the AFCON in 2008.
Thereafter, he has featured in eight Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and three FIFA World Cups tournaments – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Qatar 2022.
However, Ghana endured disappointing exits in both AFCON and World Cup competitions since he assumed the captaincy duties.
Calls have come through for him to give way to the current crop to take over.
But the former West Ham and Swansea player told Canal+, as quoted by CAF Online that, “There is a lot of pressure. Despite this generation dominating, we still couldn’t win so this creates more pressure and more demands, and the country expects more and more.”
He acknowledged the relative lack of experience among younger players, yet expressed confidence in the team’s ability to surmount challenges saying, “Today, the players do not have the experience that the players I just mentioned have or had. The players start by getting used to it, by understanding what it means to wear this jersey, which means a lot to millions of people. The jersey is very heavy to wear and you need to have broad shoulders.
Expressing optimism ahead of future campaigns, he said, “I know we will bounce back. We work. We are going through a bad time. But we will get through this, I am sure.”
He is expected to be included in the Black Stars squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic this June.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum