Why most of Ghana’s U-20 World Cup winning squad made it to the Black Stars - Andre Ayew
Black Stars captain, Andre Ayew
Black Stars captain, Andre Ayew has explained why majority of players from the 2009 U-20 World Cup-winning team went on to have successful careers in the senior national team.
Read full articleAyew was a crucial member of the Black Satellites team that won the tournament in Egypt without losing a game.
The team, led by Coach Sellas Tetteh, overcame all challenges and defeated Brazil in the final.
According to Ayew, the team's unity and success played a significant role in their transition to the Black Stars.
“The fact that we were so united at the U-20 World Cup helped us tremendously. We knew each other, and that showed at the World Cup in South Africa," Ayew told FIFA Media.
He added, “We were playing at home, so to speak, in our continent, so we could not disappoint. We were ready and had more full internationals under our belt, so it was no surprise that we made it all the way to the quarters. We could have gone further, but it's part of our history now."
Ayew also recalled the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, where Ghana made it to the final but lost to Egypt in the dying minutes of the game.
He said, "We ended up losing in the dying minutes to Egypt with nine of the victorious players from the U-20 World Cup three months earlier. We were on the verge of achieving a historic double."
Ghana remains the first and only African team to have won the U-20 World Cup, and Ayew is currently the captain of the senior national team, the Black Stars.
JNA/KPE
