Former Black Stars captain André “Dede” Ayew believes Ghana’s failure to honour some of its football legends could be contributing to the national team’s long wait for a major trophy.
Ayew expressed concern over Ghana’s repeated disappointments in major tournaments, pointing to the team’s history of reaching Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-finals and finals only to fall short at crucial moments, including defeats on penalties.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Le Havre attacker suggested that the treatment of former players deserved serious attention as Ghana searches for answers to its prolonged trophy drought.
He argued that the failure to recognise legendary players through ceremonial matches and other forms of appreciation had left some former footballers feeling bitter, potentially affecting the positive atmosphere surrounding the national team.
“It’s been happening, happening. And the bitterness and all of this are part of things where the good energy is not there,” Ayew said.
He questioned how generations of talented Ghanaian players could repeatedly come close to winning major competitions without securing a trophy.
“I don’t believe it’s possible that, in these generations of players we’ve had, we haven’t won a trophy. Something somewhere is not right,” he added.
Ayew noted that Ghana had often performed well enough to reach the latter stages of competitions, only to suffer painful defeats when the stakes were highest.
“Because we play, we get to finals, we play good football with this, with that, we have the right transition. Semis, finals, you get to penalties, you lose. We cannot lose so many finals. So there are some things we need to correct, and I think this is one of the things that we need to correct,” he said.
The former captain believes showing greater appreciation for players who have served the country could help address some of the underlying issues surrounding the national team. His comments place the spotlight on how Ghana recognises the contributions of former internationals beyond their playing careers.
Ayew also mentioned respected former Black Stars players, including Stephen Appiah and Asamoah Gyan, as he reflected on the issue. He stressed, however, that he did not want them or other former players to have to demand recognition for themselves.
“But I don’t want, and I’m even asking my elder brothers who have passed from Baby Jets and Stevens, and these are really my elder brothers, and they know how much I respect them, because they give me the respect. So I even give them more respect, because one, they’re older than me. Two, I met them. And three, they always give me that respect. So I see them and I don’t want none of us to ask for anything,” he said.
Ayew’s remarks have renewed the conversation about the relationship between Ghana’s current national team and the players who helped build its reputation over the years.
While he did not present the lack of recognition as the sole explanation for Ghana’s trophy drought, he believes it is one issue worth addressing as the country seeks to turn promising tournament campaigns into titles.
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