For a team once talked of as one of the best in African football, the Black Stars team is a pale shadow of itself, with an alarming poor form, and the team’s captain Andre Dede Ayew has called for calm.
Andre Ayew is doing quite well for his club Le Havre–recently scoring a beautiful goal against French champions, PSG.
Being the team’s captain, any opportunity to discuss the team’s performances with Andre Dede Ayew will certainly be taken, and that is what Nana Ama Agyemang on Chasing Gold with Nana Aba, did when she met the Black Stars captain in Paris.
Touching on the Black Star’s poor performances, Andre Dede Ayew said, “I think we need to stay calm,” adding, “A lot of things have happened. There’s not much to be said at the moment.”
As one of the longest-serving members of the Black Stars team, Andre Dede Ayew has seen it all–the good, the bad, and the not-so-good–and he believes that calm is needed, as the team will keep working hard to make the nation proud.
“I have been in the team for a very long time so we need to stay calm, learn from what went right and what went wrong, keep working hard to make our nation proud because it is something very special,” Andre Ayew said.
With just one win in their last 10 games across all competitions, including two defeats at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, the Black Stars’ performances have not been so good, and the captain acknowledges this, saying they cannot brush it off, and the team can only be sorry for the turn of events.
“We cannot hide behind the fact that the results lately have not been the best and we are sorry for that but I know it’s part of the game. Football is like a cycle you have moments,” Andre Dede Ayew said in the interview.
“We were on top for about 10 to 12 years but now it’s other people but we need to keep working harder. We have the talent and the players, it’s just a matter of time and a little bit of luck for things to switch around,” the Black Stars captain added.
“…the results lately have not been the best and we are sorry for that”
Dede Ayew spoke to @Thefifalady about the Black Stars in Paris. pic.twitter.com/ZQIMVsbcOE
— nana aba (@thenanaaba) April 29, 2024
With a lot of youngsters coming through for the team, Dede Ayew’s time with the Black Stars is nearing a point where he will have very limited chances, but his good form at his club is making a case for him, and he would be hoping to have a good run in the team, as the 2026 World Cup qualifiers come around in June.