Archived News - 22nd Aug 2007

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Pele's Son Ready For Nations Cup

Barney Cullum
22.08.07

Andre Ayew- son of former African Player of The Year Abede Pele- stands a great chance of making Ghana’s squad for January’s African Cup of Nations, according to Black Stars coach Claude LeRoy.

The seventeen-year-old made his international debut as a late substitute in Ghana’s 1-1 draw with Senegal at Millwall’s New Den in London last night.

When asked whether January’s Nations Cup might come too soon for the prodigious Marseille talent LeRoy reminded reporters that he took Samuel Eto’o to the World Cup with Cameroon at the same age.
“It is important to take young players with great potential to these tournaments and I think Samuel turned out ok, didn’t he?” LeRoy said.
“We have a core of 16 or 17 players that we know will be part of the squad for the tournament in Ghana but the rest of the squad will consist of young players for the future and Andre is the sort of player we need.
“He is quick, left-footed and talented and already playing for Marseilles, one of the World’s great clubs.”

Ayew is following in his father’s footsteps for both club and country. They are big boots to fill, for Pele won the African Player of The Year Award three years in a row from 1990-1992 and is seen as Ghana’s greatest ever player.

Pele starred for the Marseilles team that won the European Cup and dominated French football before the club were demoted following their infamous corruption scandal. Now his son has broken into the first team of a side that are looking to reclaim those heady days and has pledged his future to Ghana despite overtures from France.
Marseilles are widely considered amongst the favourites for the League One title this year whilst hosts Ghana are the favourites for the upcoming Nations Cup.

According to LeRoy, Andre Ayew is good enough and old enough to play a big part in both.

Ghana 1-1 Senegal

The New Den, London
Barney Cullum

El-Hajji Diouf capped a man of the match display by scoring a deserved late equaliser for Senegal in an entertaining 1-1 draw with Ghana at Millwall’s New Den in London on Tuesday (August 12).

Arguably the evening’s most interesting moment arrived in stoppage time, however, when 17-year-old Andre Ayew- son of the great Ghanaian Abedi Pele- came off the substitutes’ bench to make his international debut.
Asamoah Gyan had given the Black Stars the initiative in first half stoppage time with a splendid goal after some intricate penalty box passing involving Michael Essien and Haminu Draman.
But Diouf, Teranga Lions captain for the night, dribbled around goalkeeper Richard Kingston with five minutes remaining to round off an encouraging performance for the Senegalese against next year’s African Cup of Nations hosts and favourites.

Ghana lacked some of their usual verve as captain Stephen Appiah was sidelined with a knee injury, but were typically organised and widemen Sulley Muntari and Draman showcased their customary flair.
Diouf and Gyan both signalled their intentions early on as the respective strikers claimed their respective sides’ first efforts on goal. The Bolton forward hit a bouncing effort wide from 18-yards after ten minutes before the diminutive Ghana marksman showed great skill in lifting the ball over first one then two Senegal defenders before blasting into Tony Silva’s grateful arms.

Diouf was involved in much of Senegal’s best work and planted a perfect free-kick right on to the head of his strike partner Modou Sougou on the half-hour only for Sougou to glance the ball wide.
Sougou lacked the edge of Wigan’s Henri Camara (still dogged by injury) but had a fine game generally and linked the play much better than Camara tends to. Sougou was skilful and used the ball intelligently throughout the night.

Approaching half-time Ghana grew in confidence, Muntari and Essien spraying the ball across the pitch to mix-up their attacks and Gyan made the breakthrough with an assured left-boot finish bang on 45 minutes.
Senegal didn’t deserve the deficit but it spurred them on after they emerged from the interval. Diouf controlled and volleyed just over the angle of crossbar and post after 47 minutes and the Lions had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside moments later.

Essien and Papa Bouba Diop battled more like it was a West London derby than an international friendly for the midfield ascendancy and at one stage the Chelsea man received lengthy treatment after a fierce tackle from the Fulham ‘fridge’.

Senegal competed with last year’s World Cup heroes in every department and deserved their late equaliser from what Diouf later described as their best performance since the 2002 World Cup.