Andre Ayew

André Morgan Rami Ayew (born 17 December 1989), also known as Dede Ayew in Ghana, is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Ligue 1 club Le Havre and serves as captain for the Ghana national team. André Ayew is the second-born son of three-time African Footballer of the Year and FIFA 100 member Abedi "Pele" Ayew and has two brothers, Ibrahim and Jordan, who also are professional footballers. In 2011 Ayew was named the BBC African Footballer of the Year and Ghanaian Footballer of the Year. Ayew began his career in Germany, playing for 1860 Munich, while debuting for the club at age seven. In 2006, he signed with his father's former club, Marseille, and spent two seasons in the club's youth academy before making his debut in the 2007–08 season. Ayew spent the following two seasons on loan with Lorient and Arles-Avignon, helping the latter team earn promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time. In 2010, he returned to Marseille and became an integral part of the first team under manager Didier Deschamps, making over 200 appearances and winning consecutive Trophée des Champions and Coupe de la Ligues in both 2010 and 2011. Born in France, Ayew has been a full international for Ghana since 2008 and has earned 120 caps. At youth level, he starred for and captained the under-20 team that won both the 2009 African Youth Championship and the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He has played in three FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014 and 2022), as well as eight Africa Cup of Nations (2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023), helping them finish runners-up in 2010 and 2015, and was top goalscorer at the latter tournament. On 7 August 2007, Ayew was called up for the first time by Ghana coach Claude Le Roy for the team's friendly match against Senegal on 21 August. He made his international debut in the match, appearing as a late-match substitute. On 11 January 2008, Ayew was named to the Ghana squad to play in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. Ayew made his second major international tournament appearance by appearing at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. On 19 January 2010, in the team's final group stage match against Burkina Faso, he scored his first international goal in 30th minute with a header. Ghana won the match 1–0 and reached the final where they were defeated 1–0 by Egypt. Ayew appeared in all five matches the team contested. On 7 May 2010, Ayew was named to coach Milovan Rajevac's 30-man preliminary squad to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was later named to the 23-man team to compete in the competition alongside his brother Ibrahim. On 12 June, Ayew made his FIFA World Cup debut in the team's opening group stage match against Serbia, starting ahead of the more experienced Sulley Muntari. He later started in the team's ensuing group stage matches against Australia and Germany. In the team's round of 16 match against the United States, Ayew assisted on the game-winning goal scored by Asamoah Gyan after sending a lob–pass into the United States defense, which Gyan collected and then converted. For his performance in the match, Ayew was named Man of the Match by FIFA. Ayew missed the team's quarter-final defeat on penalties to Uruguay due to yellow card accumulation. He went on to play in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring against Mali and Tunisia, as the Black Stars finished in fourth place. In February 2013, Ayew retired from international football after a dispute with the Ghana Football Association. However, he returned to the team for a World Cup qualifier against Zambia on 6 September. He then went on to start in both legs of Ghana's 7–3 aggregate play-off defeat of Egypt to secure qualification to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 2 June 2014, Ayew was named in Ghana's squad for the World Cup. In the team's opening match, he scored an 82nd minute equalising goal against the United States in an eventual 2–1 defeat. He then scored the Black Stars' first goal in a 2–2 draw with Germany in their second group match. On 19 January 2015, Ayew scored Ghana's first goal of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in a 2–1 loss to Senegal. Ayew is currently the captain of the Black Stars. On 3 January 2022, Ayew was named in Ghana's 28-man final squad for the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. Ghana lost their first match at the tournament against Morocco, which Ayew played the full 90 minutes. He would however score a goal in Ghana's second group game, a 1–1 draw against Gabon. In Ghana's third game Ayew was sent off during the course of an unexpected 3–2 defeat to the Comoros, with Ghana finishing bottom of their group of four. Ayew helped Ghana qualify for the 2022 World Cup, where they were placed in Group H. His participation at the tournament made Ayew the only Ghanaian player to feature at the nation's last three World Cups. In Ghana's first game of the group stage, Ayew scored his side's first goal of the competition, equalizing in the 73rd minute to bring the score to 1–1 during the course of an eventual 3–2 defeat against Portugal. Following a 3–2 victory over South Korea, Ghana required a win or draw in their final group match against Uruguay to advance, and were awarded an early penalty, taken by Ayew. However, Ayew would see his attempt saved, and Uruguay went on to score twice in the first half. At half-time, Ayew and his brother Jordan were both substituted, but the scoreline finished unchanged at 2–0, to send Ghana home in fourth place in their group. Ayew was born in Seclin, a commune in the arrondissement of Lille, to Ghanaian parents. He holds both French and Ghanaian nationalities. His maternal grandfather Alhaji A.A. Khadir, is Lebanese. Ayew comes from a family of footballers. His father, Abedi Pele, was a professional footballer and was playing for Lille at the time of his birth. He is the nephew of Kwame Ayew and Sola Ayew, both of whom are former international footballers. Ayew also has two brothers who are professional footballers; Ibrahim and Jordan, and a sister, Imani. Jordan currently plays for Crystal Palace and Ibrahim currently plays for Lincoln Red Imps F.C. in Gibraltar. He is a practising Muslim. Ayew married his long-term girlfriend, Yvonne, with whom he has a son.