With all due respect, the way we retire our legends from the national team is disheartening, discouraging, and disrespectful.
This must stop. We must find a better way of handling such situations, and it should start with the immediate past captain of the senior national team.
From all indications, André Ayew would be grateful to serve his country one last time at the FIFA World Cup and then retire from the national team. It would only be proper for us to grant him that wish and honour him for his dedicated service to the nation from 2007 until now.
Dede Ayew’s commitment to the Ghana national football team is second to none. Whenever he represents the country, he does it with his heart, blood, and strength.
Some may argue that we should give younger players the same opportunity that Claude Le Roy once gave him when he introduced him to the national team in a friendly match against the Senegal national football team in London. However, the truth is that giving the nation’s most capped player—with over 120 appearances and more than 20 goals—that slot to honour him is equally important. It sets a good precedent and shows younger players that loyalty and long service to the nation are truly appreciated.
Moreover, he is still actively playing in one of the competitive leagues in Europe. My point is not even about footballing reasons, but about honouring him. Yes, we can honour him after the Mundial, but representing Ghana there would give him the opportunity to become one of the very few African footballers to appear in the World Cup four times—something that would be a plus for both him and the country.
We should not repeat what happened to the legendary striker Asamoah Gyan.
Let us honour our heroes.
Let us give Dede Ayew his last danc
