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The Ayews predicament …To quit or not to quit
• The Ayew brothers, Andre (left) and Jordan
It’s interesting how things can change very fast in life.
In sports, particularly football, this scenario can be perfectly illustrated with its daily happenings.
In a minute, a player becomes a hero of a club or a national team, leading him to success on the field or chalking some historic wins. His absence can even affect the team’s confidence.
The next moment, this player becomes a villain who has overstayed his welcome, and he must retire or quit the club or national team.
Even when the player feels he has a little more to give, he is looked in the face by the same fans that applauded him and told that ‘Massa’, your time is up.’
From that moment, the player becomes the problem of the club or national team and is at fault for every negativity around it.
Ask players like Ivorian international and Manchester City legend, Yahaya Toure, Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan and recently the Ayew brothers – Andre and Jordan, or axed Black Stars coach, Chris Hughton; they know about this.
But what these players or coaches do not know or refuse to accept is the axiom suggesting that one needs to leave the stage while the ovation is loudest.
Those who exit the stage while the applause was loudest do not have the unpleasant experience of courting bad publicity or becoming a desperado to the same fans that once sang the player’s praise.
Former Ghana international and Dortmund star, Otto Addo, may be relaxing
in his Dortmund base today, observing happenings in the camp of the Black Stars and perhaps, be wondering whether he would have been the target of that fan attack in Cote d’Ivoire following the team’s poor showing at AFCON 2023.
Addo guided the Black Stars to snatch a FIFA World Cup ticket from Nigeria over two legs to send the entire nation into frenzy. By the time the excitement came down, Ghana was out of the World Cup following an unimpressive showing.
As stipulated in his contract, Addo exited the scene, although not with much applause and entered Hughton who also kept faith with the Ayews, a decision that appears to have made him a ‘persona non grata’.
But one may ask what crime the Ayews committed to warrant this level of condemnation and vilification from a majority of Ghanaian soccer fans.
If the narrative is not about why the coach kept Jordan in a game for the entire duration, then it will be why he brought on Andre because he was a mere passenger.
They have been the major subjects for discussions on several platforms and one even wonders where they get the motivation to still want to don the once glorious senior national team jersey.
In a sharp throwback to 2021 in Egypt, Andre was considered Ghana’s finest after leading a U-21 side to defeat Brazil in a FIFA World Cup to hand Ghana her only success in that age categorised championship.
That, obviously, fast-forwarded his smooth transition to the senior side where he bid his time and became the captain of the side.
Beyond the camp politicking fans only hear but lack evidence to confirm, the Ayews, in my view have paid their dues to Ghana football and must be treated with respect.
It appears Ghanaians have lost some of the magical moments Andre especially have had with Ghana at the FIFA World Cup, AFCON and some qualifying games.
The only problem of the Ayews, for me is the failure to watch the clock to know when to time themselves out. What Asamoah Gyan went through with fans at the latter parts of his career should have guided the Ayews to exit at the right moment.
It also teaches a lesson that no matter how sumptuous your football meal was in the past, fans will always go against you whenever it loses its taste.
But it is not too late. With their respective careers at an anti-climax, they can take a decision they feel will be in their interest and that of the nation in order to be absolved from the blame for the Black Stars downward spiral.
By Andrew Nortey
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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