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0 Ghana captain Andre Ayew has shared how his family, especially his father, has significantly impacted his mental toughness and career.
The Ayew name carries substantial weight in Ghanaian football folklore. Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’ became the first Ghanaian to win the Champions League in 1993 with Marseille.
Winning the French title three times, the Africa Cup of Nations once while also picking the CAF footballer of the year on three occasions.
Arguably Ghana’s best player in history, Abedi Pele passed the torch to his son Andre, who made his tournament debut in the 2008 AFCON hosted in Ghana.
Although the boots were bigger to fill, Andre has managed to also write his own history.
In 2009, Andre captained the Ghana U20 team to win the U20 World Cup in Egypt, becoming the first African nation to lift the coveted trophy.
Andre Ayew urges patience for new Black Stars players
Jordan Ayew would want his brother in Black Stars camp – Otto Addo
Since then he’s gone on to make more than 120 appearances which is the most in Black Stars history while also captaining the team to the 2022 World Cup.
“For young children, I think when you’re growing up and you have both parents I think it’s one of the biggest blessings for you to have so for me that’s really okayed a huge part in my life, huge part in my mentality,” he said.
Andre Ayew and brother Jordan the subject of massive criticism
Despite his success, Andre alongside his brother Jordan Ayew has received a fair share of criticism in recent years.
Missing a penalty in the 2022 World Cup didn’t do Andre any good favors, as he was subjected to trolls on social media with fans calling for the 34-year-old to be dropped.
But Andre outlines how he’s dealt with such challenges.
“At the beginning was very tough, it was something that was difficult to endure, to swallow, but with time you get to learn to understand.
“What I personally do is go in my room, relax, have a shower and then I eat, because with time everything fades away,” he added.
Andre is currently without a club after his contract with Le Havre expired. He also missed out on Ghana’s last set of World Cup qualifiers against Mali and Central African Republic.
The post Andre Ayew reveals family’s role in his mental toughness first appeared on 3News.
