In 2009, Andre Ayew captained the Ghanaian team, Black Satellites, to victory in the U-20 World Cup held in Egypt, where they defeated Brazil in the final.
Ghana remains the only African country to have won this prestigious trophy. Ayew attributes the team's success to their camaraderie, which allowed them to overcome challenges and emerge victorious.
He recalls a difficult opening game against Uzbekistan, where they came from behind to win, which helped them gain confidence and momentum.
After a quarter-final win against Korea Republic, Ayew and some teammates, including Jonathan Mensah, Mohammed Rabiu, Samuel Inkoom, Emmanuel Badu, and Daniel Opare, believed they could win the cup and went on to defeat Hungary in the semis.
Ayew says that their growing experience, dedication to training, and attentiveness to team-talks helped shape their mindset and support each other.
“Our opening fixture against Uzbekistan was really difficult and a very close game. In fact, they opened the scoring before we came back to win. The victory allowed us to shake off our inhibitions as we then beat England 4-0”
“After our quarter-final win over Korea Republic, I was in the dining area with Jonathan Mensah, Mohammed Rabiu, Samuel Inkoom, Emmanuel Badu and Daniel Opare. I looked at them and said, 'Guys, we can bring this cup back to Ghana.'” He said.
“We were about to play Hungary in the semis, and at this stage of a competition, it’s the team who wants it more that wins. By then, we were growing in experience, applying ourselves more in training, being more attentive in team-talks – all of which was reflected in our mindset. We were there for each other, and that's what made the difference”
Ayew and some of his Black Satellites teammates earned promotion to the Black Stars team, and Ayew has since become Ghana's most capped player, with 113 appearances at the senior level, surpassing Asamoah Gyan's record before the World Cup in Qatar.
